After noticeably brief deliberations, a Minnesota jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts in the murder trial of disgraced ex-officer Derek Chauvin. The exceptionally rare verdict, which holds a police officer accountable for their actions in the death of a Black man, has sent shockwaves of disbelief, relief and awe through many who awaited the outcome of the trial.
According to Yahoo News, Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.
Former President Barack Obama weighed in on the decision.
“Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied,” he wrote on Twitter.
Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied. pic.twitter.com/mihZQHqACV
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 20, 2021
Americans of all walks of life are coming together in agreement that the guilty verdict, rendered as Derek Chauvin, held his knee to the neck of 46-year-old George Floyd for up to 9 and a half minutes.
According to CNN, the rallying cry “8:46” was invoked as protests swept the world in the summer of 2020, demanding justice for the death. Experts advised that the length of time was likely greater than 9 minutes.
The National Fraternal Order of Police agreed that “justice has worked as it should.” The country’s largest police union said that the trial was fair and that “due process was served.”
Patrick Yoes, president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest law enforcement union, said “Justice has worked as it should” in response to the conviction of Derek Chauvin
— Anthony DeRosa ? (@Anthony) April 20, 2021
“The trial was fair and due process was served,” https://t.co/9iTo6P4ePF
Peace prevails through Minnesota, where the expectation that violence would follow should a “not guilty” verdict have been the result. Reports that police officers from as far away as Ohio were on hand to assist in crowd control.
People have gathered in celebration in what many say is a “rare” case of justice being served for a Black man.
