GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY
GEORGE FLOYD MURDER VERDICT
A POLICEMAN who sparked global outrage after he was filmed kneeling on the neck of George Floyd was last night found guilty over his death.
Derek Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison after jurors unanimously convicted the former Minneapolis officer of seconddegree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter after ten hours of deliberation.
He was remanded to be sentenced at a later date as cheers broke out in the city.
Chauvin, 45, was filmed with his knee against a handcuffed Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes outside a grocery store where the 46-year-old black man had been accused of buying cigarettes with a fake $20 bill in May last year.
The death of Mr Floyd – who was heard saying ‘I can’t breathe’ 27 times – sparked outrage and was a focal point of the Black Lives Matter protests that have divided the US. Many businesses in the city were boarded up and the National Guard called in over fears of a repeat of clashes between riot police and protesters.
The case hinged on whether jurors agreed with prosecutors that Chauvin, who was later fired, used excessive force that killed Mr Floyd. The jury was comprised of four white women, two white men, three black men, one black woman and two multiracial women.
Chauvin’s lawyer had argued the officer had behaved as any ‘reasonable police officer’ would. Earlier, US president Joe Biden said he had spoken with Floyd’s family and was praying for the ‘right verdict’.