Chauvin found guilty on all counts in murder of Floyd

Published 5:12 pm Tuesday, April 20, 2021

MINNEAPOLIS— Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.

The jury announced the verdict Tuesday at the murder trial of Chauvin in the death of Floyd, the Black man who was pinned to the pavement with a knee on his neck in a case that set off a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S.

Chauvin was found guilty of second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter.

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His bail was revoked and he was remanded to the custody of the county sheriff following the verdict.

The courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and thousands of National Guard troops and law enforcement officers were brought in ahead of the verdict. Some businesses boarded up with plywood.

Floyd died last May after Chauvin, a 45-year-old now-fired white officer, pinned his knee on or close to the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd gasped that he couldn’t breathe and onlookers yelled at Chauvin to get off.

The jury, made up of six white people and six Black or multiracial people, weighed charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, with convictions on some, none or all of the charges possible. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison.