When Judge Peter Cahill announced the sentence on Friday, the face of the former police officer Derek Chauvin initially seemed to briefly spread uncertainty. The judge said Chauvin was sentenced to 270 months for the murder of George Floyd. At that moment it looked as if the 45-year-old chauvin was converting months into years. Result: He will have to spend 22.5 years in prison.
In May of last year, Derek Chauvin kneeled on the neck of African American George Floyd for more than nine minutes during an assignment in Minneapolis. Although the latter said several times that he could not breathe, Chauvin did not let go of him until Floyd was dead. The case led to nationwide protests against police violence and systemic racism in the United States.
“This historic guilty verdict brings the Floyd family and our nation one step closer to healing by providing closure and accountability,” family lawyers said Friday. It is a “significant step” that was unthinkable a short time ago. In fact, convictions for police officers are rare in the United States.
In April, a jury found Chauvin guilty of second degree murder. In German law, this roughly corresponds to the offense of manslaughter. There was a hearing to announce the sentence on Friday, in which Chauvin also spoke for the first time. He went straight to Floyd’s family and offered his condolences. He also said that for legal reasons, he was currently unable to comment in more detail. With the “legal reasons” he probably meant that he can appeal the judgment.
The public prosecutor’s office had asked for a 30-year prison sentence. The defense called for parole, although the minimum sentence in such cases in the state of Minnesota is ten years. Judge Cahill justified the fact that Chauvin had to go to prison for significantly longer than ten years on the one hand by saying that it was a particularly cruel crime, and on the other by saying that Chauvin had abused his role as a police officer and person of authority.
It is not about setting an example, says the judge
In addition to Chauvin, three other former police officers involved in the operation face jail sentences. You will face a separate trial in Minneapolis; the negotiation is expected to begin in March 2022. They are charged with complicity, which could result in prison sentences of several years
Judge Cahill spoke briefly on Friday. He referred to his 22-page written analysis in which he explained in detail why he believed the sentence for chauvin was appropriate. His judgment, he emphasized, was not based on emotion or sympathy, but on legal analysis. Nevertheless, he said he wanted to point out that he was aware of the great pain of the Floyd family.
The judge said it was not about the public impact or about setting an example. As a sign against police violence and racism, this judgment will be understood especially by African Americans.