Derek Chauvin, the former cop who murdered George Floyd, was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison

American justice has confirmed that the old police Derek chauvin, Convicted of murdering African American George Floyd, was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison for a crime that rocked the American nation.

“The sentence is not based on emotion or sympathy”, Judge Peter Cahill said during sentencing in a Minneapolis court. He added in a brief speech that he was not counting on “In public opinion”, but in the law and in the facts specific to the case.

Prosecutors called for 30 years in prison for the 45-year-old who, on May 25, 2020, was suffocating in Minneapolis the African American below his knee and it unleashed an unprecedented anti-racist mobilization in the United States and other parts of the world.

“He committed a brutal murder”, “traumatized” the relatives of his victim and “generated a shock in the conscience of the nation”, prosecutors said in documents forwarded before the hearing.

Some people gathered outside the court in Minneapolis, where the deployed soldiers were not during the eight-week trial. Minnesota state law states A minimum sentence of 12 and a half years in prison for Chauvin, incarcerated since he was convicted of murder on April 20.

But the judge Pierre Cahill identified aggravating circumstances it could indicate a much harsher sentence. The magistrate considered that Chauvin had “Abused his position of trust and authority“, who had treated Floyd with”special cruelty“In front of minors and that”committed the group crime with the active participation of at least three others“Uniform.

Before announcing his decision, he heard from Floyd’s relatives one last time. Chauvin also had the opportunity to speak: “I want to express my condolences to the Floyd family. There will be more information in the future that will be of interest to you, and I hope you are reassured. “

Parallel, Justice Cahill on Friday dismissed a defense request for a new trial due to doubts about the impartiality of some members of the jury, believing that he “could not prove” his accusations.

Relief

Exactly 13 months ago, Chauvin and three colleagues arrested Floyd, 46, on suspicion of spending a fake $ 20 bill at a Minneapolis store. He was handcuffed and pinned to the sidewalk in the middle of the street.

Chauvin then knelt at Floyd’s neck for nearly ten minutes, indifferent to the pleas of the victim and the distraught passers-by, and even when the pulse of the man in his forties weakens.

The scene, filmed with a cell phone and uploaded to the networks by a young woman, It quickly went viral and sparked protests in different parts of the world.

In this context, Chauvin’s trial has been followed closely since March by millions of people across the country.

For weeks the crime scene was searched from every angle, Testimonies from witnesses and parties were heard and an unprecedented number of police officers marched through the courtroom, mainly to denounce the attitude of their former colleague.

For his part, the lawyer of the former policeman, Eric Nelson, insisted that Chauvin had followed the police procedures in force at the time and that Floyd’s death was due to health problems made worse by drug use.

Jury members were not convinced and it took less than ten hours to convict him. His decision was greeted with relief across the country, as many feared an acquittal could lead to worse riots with the exoneration, once again, of a white police officer.

But Nelson he did not change his defense strategy and said his client had made “a bona fide mistake” and asked for a reduced sentence at the time already filled, which would allow his client to be released immediately.

He also warned of the risk that his client, imprisoned after the announcement of the verdict in a high security establishment, could be killed in prison. The defense has already announced it will appeal.

The case does not stop at Chauvin: his three former colleagues will be tried in March 2022 for complicity in murder by the Minnesota court. In parallel, the four men also face federal charges for violating Floyd’s constitutional rights. The date for this trial has not yet been set.

(With information from AFP)

Read on: