Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years for George Floyd’s murder

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22.5 years for the murder of George Floyd.

Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill said the length of the sentence, was owed to Chauvin’s “abuse of a position of trust and authority, and also the particular cruelty shown to George Floyd.”

In a written sentencing memo, Cahill said Chauvin “treated Mr. Floyd without respect and denied him the dignity owed to all human beings.”

Chauvin, 45, who was convicted of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in April after pinning Floyd to the ground with a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes, had hoped for a sentence of probation and time served, as sought by his attorney.

Derek Chauvin

Prosecutors had asked Cahill to sentence Chauvin to 30 years, writing in a court filing that while such a sentence would be “double the upper limit of the presumptive range,” it “would properly account for the profound impact of defendant’s conduct on the victim, the victim’s family, and the community.”

“Defendant brutally murdered Mr. Floyd, abusing the authority conferred by his badge,” the prosecution’s filing reads. “His actions traumatized Mr. Floyd’s family, the bystanders who watched Mr. Floyd die, and the community. And his conduct shocked the nation’s conscience.”

Prior to the sentencing, Cahill said the Derek Chauvin sentence would not be determined by emotion or public perception.

“But at the same time,” he said, “I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all of the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family.”

George Floyd, 46, was killed on May 25, 2020 during his detainment after being suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill at Cup Foods convenience store.

While detained to the ground, Floyd complained that he couldn’t breathe but Chauvin continued to have a knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.

Floyd ultimately died of cardiopulmonary arrest due to neck compression.

After his death, protests against police brutality, especially towards Black people, quickly spread across the United States and globally.

Chauvin was fired a day after the killing.

Three other now-former Minneapolis officers on the scene with Chauvin — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — were all charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and are scheduled to be tried next year.

All have pleaded not guilty.

Under Minnesota law, Chauvin must serve 2/3 of his term.