Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder and manslaughter in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd.
Bystander video viewed around the world, and multiple police body cameras, captured Chauvin kneeling on Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds in the street outside a convenience store that night.
He was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and Judge Peter Cahill later reinstated a third-degree murder charge against him.
The jurors in the trial deliberated for less than 12 hours before reaching their verdict. They delivered a verdict of guilty on all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin’s conviction marks only the second known time a police officer has been convicted of murder in Minnesota, and the first time such a conviction has been won against a white officer who killed a Black man.
Chauvin’s bond was immediately revoked and he was remanded and led out of the courtroom in handcuffs following the reading of the verdict.
Judge Cahill said he expected to begin a sentencing hearing in about eight weeks.
The maximum sentence Chauvin could face is 40 years for second-degree murder, 25 years for third-degree murder and 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. Because Mr. Chauvin has no criminal history, the sentencing guidelines for each of the murder charges is 12.5 years.
Those sentences would likely be served concurrently, not consecutively, since they are all for the same crime.