A Minnesota judge today sentenced former police officer Derek Chauvin to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of African-American George Floyd during an arrest in May 2020, Reuters reported.
Derek Chauvin, 45, who caused Floyd’s death on May 25 last year in Minneapolis, was found guilty of murder on April 20 after a trial that attracted a great deal of attention.
The prosecution demanded a sentence of 30 years in prison – twice the upper limit recommended for unconvicted perpetrators. However, the judge ruled that the prosecution had succeeded in arguing for a harsher sentence. The maximum sentence under the law for this act is 40 years. The defense requested a suspended sentence.
In court, Chauvin offered condolences to Floyd’s family.
The death of 46-year-old George Floyd was videotaped, sparking outrage around the world and the largest protest movement in the United States in decades. The video shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes.
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