Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty On All Counts In Death Of Floyd

MINNEAPOLIS — Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was seen by people across the world with his knee on George Floyd's neck — an event that inspired mass protests for social justice — was found guilty of murder by a Hennepin County jury Tuesday.

Chauvin, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death on Memorial Day 2020.

After the verdict was read, Chauvin was immediately taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs as his defense attorney, Eric Nelson, watched. Chauvin's bail was revoked and he was taken into the custody of the Hennepin County sheriff.

The verdict — which was reached in about 10 hours — was read Tuesday afternoon. Chauvin's sentencing hearing will take place in eight weeks.

Chauvin faces a max of 40 years in prison under Minnesota law.

After it was announced that a verdict had been reached, demonstrators quickly congregated outside of the Hennepin County courthouse — where the trial took place — and at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Floyd spent his last moments.

Cheers could be heard from the crowds when the guilty verdict was announced.

National leaders react

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Floyd's family on the phone shortly after the verdict was announced. Earlier in the day, Biden had said he was praying for the "right verdict."

Family attorney Ben Crump took the phone call as an opportunity to express his support for the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act and said he hoped this would be the momentum to get the law passed with Biden's signature.

"You got it, pal," Biden replied.

Both Harris and Biden addressed the nation in televised remarks later in the day.

"Today we feel a sigh of relief," Harris said. "Still it cannot take away the pain. A measure of justice is not the same as equal justice. This verdict brings us a step closer. But still, we have work to do.

"America has a long history of systemic racism. Black Americans and Black men in particular have been treated less than human. Black men are fathers, brothers, uncles, sons, grandfathers and neighbors. Their lives must be valued."

Harris said racial injustice was not just a problem for Black America or people of color but a problem for "every America," that keeps the country from fulfilling the promise of liberty and justice for all.

"We are all a part of George Floyd's legacy and our job is to honor it and honor him."

Speaking after Harris, Biden called systemic racism a stain on the nation's soul.

"Today's verdict is a step forward," Biden said. "Nothing can ever bring their brother or their father back but this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America.

"Such a verdict is also much too rare," Biden continued. "We saw how traumatic and exhausting watching the trial was for so many people. It's a trauma on top of the fear so many people of color live with every day. They go to sleep at night praying for the safety of themselves and their loved ones."

The president urged Congress to act on police reform, saying it shouldn't take a whole year to get it done.

"Today, a jury in Minneapolis did the right thing," said former President Barack Obama.

"In this case, at least, we have our answer. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial."

"While today’s verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient one," Obama added. "We cannot rest. We will need to follow through with the concrete reforms that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system. We will need to redouble efforts to expand economic opportunity for those communities that have been too long marginalized."

"Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, in the hopes that they may find peace," the former president continued.

"And we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied."

Minnesota leaders react to a guilty verdict

"George Perry Floyd Jr. came to Minneapolis to better his life. But ultimately his life will have bettered our city," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry said in a statement.

"Today the jury joined in a shared conviction that has animated Minneapolis for the last 11 months: they refused to look away. They believed their own eyes and affirmed George Floyd should still be here today."

"I would not call today's verdict justice however because justice implies true restoration but it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice," said Attorney General Keith Ellison.

"George Floyd mattered," Ellison said. "He mattered because he was a human being and there is no way we can turn away from the reality."

"This verdict reminds us how hard it is to make enduring change," he added.

"The world watched on May 25, 2020 as George Floyd died with a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes," Gov. Tim Walz said. "Thousands of Minnesotans marched in the streets last summer in the wake of his death—inspiring a movement around the globe. While many of these people never met George, they valued his humanity. They knew what happened was wrong. They called for change, and they demanded justice."

"A year later, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder and faces years behind bars," Walz continued. "But we know that accountability in the courtroom is only the first step. No verdict can bring George back, and my heart is with his family as they continue to grieve his loss. Minnesota mourns with you, and we promise the pursuit of justice for George does not end today."

"It's long past time the Senate moves forward and passes police reform to hold officers accountable for misconduct, increase transparency in policing practices, and improve police conduct and training, including banning chokeholds," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

"This is the urgent task before us - not for tomorrow, not for next year, but for now."

"Millions of people took to the streets because we couldn’t look away from the reality of George Floyd’s murder and we could see change had to come," said Sen. Tina Smith.

"What if we rethink public safety so that Black and Brown people, and all people, truly feel safe and protected in their homes, neighborhoods and communities? This is the work ahead of all of us."

Background On Case

Chauvin, who is white, was charged in the death of Floyd, a Black man who died after Chauvin kneeled on him for more than nine minutes despite Floyd's protests that he could not breathe. Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests demanding racial justice and police reform.

• President Biden On Chauvin Trial: Praying For 'Right Verdict'

The racially diverse jury deliberated less than a full day before coming to a decision that concluded the two-week trial, which was closely watched as a bellwether of official responses to police killings of Black people.

• Read The Jury Instructions Given In The Derek Chauvin Trial

"On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died faced down on the pavement," state prosecutor Steve Schleicher told jurors in his closing argument Monday. "Nine minutes and 29 seconds. Throughout this time George Floyd struggled to breathe."

"What the defendant did to George Floyd killed him," Schleicher added. "It was ruled a homicide. The defendant is charged with murder."

Schleicher praised the "noble" police profession in his closing statement and noted that "this case is called the state of Minnesota versus Derek Chauvin. This is not called the state of Minnesota versus the police."

"This is not an anti-police prosecution. It's a pro-police prosecution."

Chauvin took "pride over policing," said Schleicher. "George Floyd paid for it with his life."

Meanwhile, Chauvin's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, closed Monday by saying Chauvin's actions on Memorial Day were consistent with what a "reasonable police officer" would do.

The verdict comes less than two weeks after another Black man's fatal interaction with police sparked unrest in the Twin Cities metro.

Former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter faces charges of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright, 20, in the Minneapolis suburb last week.

Chauvin Did Not Testify

In Chauvin's trial, state prosecutors and Chauvin's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, spent 15 days arguing about Chauvin's culpability in Floyd's death. Chauvin himself declined to testify in his own defense, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Floyd's arrest and death — captured on a bystander video — was seen across the globe, sparking outrage and leading to countless protests around the country.

In court, Nelson blamed the "hostile" and "growing crowd" for distracting the four officers who were at the scene of Floyd's arrest. He also told jurors that drugs and heart disease, not Chauvin, killed Floyd.

A "use of force" expert called on by Nelson to testify said Chauvin's actions on the day of Floyd's death were justified.

State prosecutors and their own medical witnesses, however, said Floyd's behavior in his final moments was not consistent with a drug overdose and that his death resulted from Chauvin's restraint, which cut off oxygen to Floyd.

The autopsy report from Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, found fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd's system but listed Floyd's official cause of death as "cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression."

Baker testified that drugs and heart disease played a role in Floyd's death but were not "direct causes."

Chauvin restraint of Floyd was "more than Mr. Floyd could take," Baker told the jury.

Dr. Martin Tobin, a forensic toxicology expert, testified that Floyd died because of a lack of oxygen. "A healthy person subjected to what Mr. Floyd was subjected to would have died as a result of what he was subjected to," Tobin told the court.

Minnesota Braced For Public Reaction To Chauvin Verdict

For months, state officials, local law enforcement and Minneapolis-area business owners and neighborhoods have prepared for the potential of more protests related to Chauvin's murder trial.

Following Floyd's death, nearly 1,500 Twin Cities businesses were damaged by vandalism, thefts, and fire, according to the state government. Estimates of the damage exceed $500 million.

Resources from "Operation Safety Net" — a coordinated effort between the Minnesota National Guard, state patrol, and local law enforcement to maintain peace in the Twin Cities metro during and after Chauvin's trial — were deployed early last week after the police shooting of Wright in Brooklyn Center.

With the region already on edge during Chauvin's trial, Wright's death sparked several days of protest and unrest in Brooklyn Center.

Nelson asked Judge Peter Cahill on April 12 to immediately sequester the jury in light of Wright's death at the hands of police. Cahill denied the motion and waited to sequester the jury until after closing arguments.

Read more: Ex-Cop Kim Potter Charged In Death Of Daunte Wright

Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated Chauvin's possible max sentence. It has since been updated to the correct number of 40 years.