Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was on Tuesday convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the deadly arrest of George Floyd.
His conviction represents a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States (U.S.) and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans.
The 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45, criminally liable in Floyd’s death after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. Jurors began their deliberations on Monday.
In a confrontation captured on video, Chauvin, who is white, pushed his knee into the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man in handcuffs, for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020, as he and three fellow officers arrested Floyd, who was accused of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a grocery store.
Floyd’s death prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities in the U.S. and around the world last year.
