Former police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted of the murder of George Floyd, will receive his sentence on June 16

The fired American police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16 for the murder of African-American George Floyd, in a case that sparked a wave of anti-racism protests across the country.

The Hennepin County District Court in the city of Minneapolis, in the U.S. Midwest, where Floyd, handcuffed, died last May when Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes., said the former white cop will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. (6.30 p.m. GMT).

Last Tuesday, the members of the jury of this city unanimously decided that Chauvin, 45, is guilty of involuntary second degree murder, punishable by up to 40 years in prison; third degree murder, with a maximum sentence of 25 years, and second degree manslaughter, which can result in up to 10 years of deprivation of liberty and a fine of $ 20,000.

After the verdict was read, which caused an explosion of joy among the demonstrators gathered in front of the court, Chauvin was handcuffed in the courtroom and taken into custody by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

Chauvin was filmed kneeling for over nine minutes on the neck of Floyd, who was handcuffed and pinned face down on the floor and pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”

During the trial, the defense lawyer Eric Nelson assured the jury that Chauvin “did not use illegal force on purpose.” “It was not a strangulation”he said, and vindicated the actions of Chauvin and the other cops who kept Floyd in the field.

According to Nelson, Floyd’s heart disease and his drug use were the deciding factors: “They’re trying to convince them that Mr. Floyd’s heart disease didn’t play a role … I am not suggesting that it was an overdose death (…) but it is absurd to say that this did not play a role ”.

To no avail, Nelson urged the jury to find Chauvin not guilty: “The state has not been able to prove its thesis beyond a reasonable doubt”, he claimed.

A previous

Former agent Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict for the murder of African American George Floyd it can set a “precedent” for driving the changes needed to reduce violence against racial minorities in the United States.

This was expressed by Salvadoran activist William martinez, head of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), who hopes that “there will be better training for police officers on how to deal with the community and people of color.”

Both the decision against Chauvin and the Recent cases of African Americans and Latinos being killed by police have reignited national debate, although the reality is that the “George Floyd Police Justice Act” may face opposition in the US Congress, especially in the Senate.

The bill, drafted in the House of Representatives by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, seeks to end the use of strangulation techniques, the “legal immunity” of officers and the militarization of police services.

With information from AFP and EFE

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