Derek Chauvin’s verdict: Former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd – live | US news

At a press conference after reading the conviction of Derek Chauvin, Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s attorney general, thanked the community for giving his prosecutors the opportunity to continue the case. However, Ellison stressed that more work needs to be done.

“I want to thank the community for the time we were given the time and allowed us to do the work,” he says. “That long, hard and hard work culminated today.”

“However, I will not call today’s verdict justice, because justice implies true restoration, but it is accountability – which is the first step towards justice.”

“George Floyd mattered,” he says. He was loved by his family and his friends. “His death shocked the conscience of our community, our country and the whole world,” Ellison said. ‘But that’s not why he mattered. He mattered because he was a human being. ‘

“It has to end, we have to do justice,” Ellison said later.

“This statement reminds us that we must make lasting, systemic, social change.”

The Minnesota chapter on American-Islamic relations commented on Derek Chauvin’s conviction.

Jaylani Hussein, CAIR Minnesota’s executive director, said in a statement: “We are encouraged by the jury’s decision to convict Derek Chauvin. This is by no means the end of our efforts to make a more just and just Minnesota and nation on but it is an important milestone on our journey and a step towards healing deep, generational traumas. ”

“While today’s sentencing is encouraging, it does not diminish the urgency with which we must continue to combat the epidemic of police violence in our communities,” Hussein said in a statement. ‘George Floyd received justice in that courtroom today. Now we must continue to advocate for justice for all, everywhere: in the legislature, where we fight to pass bills to increase police oversight and end qualified immunity, in our own communities, where we come together for trust and to heal and build mutual understanding, and on the street, where we organize, pull up and strengthen our movement every day. ”

By the way, here is a summary of what the charges meant:

We now have a pool report setting out the scene in Judge Peter Cahill’s courtroom for the ruling in Derek Chauvin’s case.

Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, bowed his head “before reading the verdict” and folded his hands in front of his face, perhaps in prayer.

Cahill enters the courtroom around 4:04 p.m. local time. The judges walk in, “everyone looks serious, no one looks teary”, according to the pool report. As Cahill reads the verdict in which Chauvin was convicted in all respects, the former Minneapolis police officer stares ‘at the empty witness podium’.

Cahill finally thanked jurors for a “heavy duty jury service” and they left. Chauvin stood, hands “hands folded behind his back.” If a deputy captivates Chauvin, he does not resist.

Philonise Floyd embraces prosecutor Jerry Blackwell, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the other prosecutors, the pool report reads.

Here’s a tweet from Keith Boykin, which speaks for itself.

The Guardian’s Lois Beckett is outside the courthouse in Minneapolis where Judge Peter Cahill has just announced a conviction in Derek Chauvin’s murder case.

Beckett reports that the crowd “Guilty!” Shouted. as soon as news arrived. There was great cheering, with people shouting “Yes!”

The crowd shouted ‘George Floyd!’ and “all three count!” People were already screaming and crying.

Whose victory? Our victory ”the crowd chanted. Cars passing by struck their trumpet in honor of the trumpet.

“Do not let anyone say that protest does not work,” a man said through a bull’s horn.

Lawyers for George Floyd’s family have released statements following the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Lawyer Ben Crump says: “George Floyd’s family and community in Minneapolis, with painfully deserved justice, have come, but today’s verdict extends far beyond this city and has important consequences for the country and even the world. Justice for Black America is justice for the whole of America. This case is a turning point in American history for law enforcement liability and sends a clear message that we hope is clearly heard in every city and every state. ”

“Today’s ruling is so critical that it not only holds Derek Chauvin accountable for his horrific actions, but it also reinforces important police reforms underway in Minneapolis, including reporting on violence, a requirement to use body-worn cameras. hold and a policy for officers to defuse non-threatening encounters by disconnecting or walking away. We are now appealing to Minnesota lawmakers to succeed, ”said attorney Antonio M. Romanucci.

Attorney L. Chris Stewart said: “Today, the world has restored its hope and confidence in the American legal system. All people crave is liability when an officer kills a Black American. For too long, this has never happened. Now George Floyd’s soul can finally rest in peace. Justice has been served. ”

Attorney Jeff Storms also said: “The impact of George Floyd’s death on Minneapolis is impossible to explain, but today’s verdict is an important step towards healing. The community here has struggled to create accountability for officers who have used excessive force over many years and too many lives and caused so much pain and suffering. This jury sent a clear and immediate message that this could never happen again. ‘

Derek Chauvin was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs moments after the conviction in his murder case was read.

Derek Chauvin was arrested by the sheriff in Hennepin County.

Derek Chauvin was convicted of second-degree manslaughter.

Derek Chauvin was convicted of third-degree murder.

Derek Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder.

The judge in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin took the bench. We expect the verdict to be read briefly.