Policeman found guilty of murder of George Floyd: he faces up to 40 years in prison

US jury found police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering African American George Floyd, reports Air force.

Derek Chauvin at the moment of reading the verdict. Photo: video frame YouTube / CNBC Television

Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts. He faces up to 40 years in prison.

During the trial, the policeman was at large, since he was released on bail.

After the verdict was announced by the jury, he was handcuffed and sent to prison, where he will await the verdict.

It is expected to be delivered in two months.

After the verdict became known, spontaneous celebrations of supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement began on the streets of Minneapolis and other American cities.

How did the process go?

During the trial, the jury heard testimony from 45 witnesses, including doctors, law enforcement officers, police officers, passers-by and people who knew Floyd.

Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder (unintentional), third-degree murder, and negligent death. During the arrest of Floyd in May last year, he pinned the African American's neck with his knee for almost 10 minutes during the arrest.

Floyd’s words “I can’t breathe,” which he uttered before his death, became a symbol of mass protests around the world for the rights of blacks and against police violence.

Sentencing on any of the charges required a unanimous decision by all the jury. The refusal of even one of the jury members to agree with the prosecution would lead to a re-examination of the case, but the authorities could arrange a new trial.

On the subject: How Police Budget Cuts Affect US Urban Crime

Of the 12 jurors, six were white, four were black and two were mixed race. Among them there were 7 women and 5 men.

On the eve of the verdict, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz asked Ohio and Nebraska state security services to send reinforcements in case of unrest.

Photo: Shutterstock

What arguments did the defense side give?

At the end of the trial, which lasted three weeks, the defense and the prosecution made closing speeches.

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, said his client did what any "reasonable police officer" would do if he finds himself in a fast-paced situation in which a large man is resisting three officers.

The defense intended to prove that the cause of Floyd's death was the drugs he had previously taken.

Nelson argued that Floyd took significant doses of drugs because the human body, especially if he has high blood pressure, reacts to taking opiates.

Lawyers also insisted that their ward was unlikely to violate the rules of the use of force, knowing that everything that happens was filmed.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

What did the prosecution do?

The prosecution sought to prove that Floyd's death came precisely as a result of the actions of Derek Chauvin.

Assistant District Attorney Steve Schleicher tried to convince jurors to "use common sense and trust your eyes" as they watched video of Chauvin pinning Floyd to the ground.

“This was not the execution of police procedure, this was murder,” he insisted.

On Monday, April 19, prosecutor Jerry Blackwell had the final say. According to him, the task was “so simple that a child could cope with it.”

“Actually, the child already understood everything when the nine-year-old girl said: “Leave him alone,” Blackwell said, referring to one of the young witnesses to Floyd’s arrest.

“It’s as simple as that: leave him alone. Common sense,” the prosecutor added.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• On May 27, George Floyd, an African American from Minneapolis, died after a Minneapolis police officer strangled him with a knee. Officer Derek Chauvin was fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter; three other officers also lost their jobs. Protests and riots subsequently eruptedand in Minneapolis and across the country.
• The Minnesota state governor said protests over the death of African-American George Floyd, spanning dozens of US cities, are already not related to murder, but provoked by visiting radicals.
• Protests in Minneapolis sharply intensified in the evening of May 27when city police took action in response to looted and burned shops in the city, as well as fatal shooting at a protest venue.
• May 31 truck drove into a crowd of protesters in Minneapolis (Minnesota). At the wheel of a car was a US citizen, presumably of Ukrainian origin, Bogdan Vechirko. He was arrested, but on June 2 released from custody awaiting further investigation. Eventually no charges were brought against him.
• About 40 cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, Detroit, and Philadelphia, banned street demonstrations after dark. Texas and Virginia Governors introduced a state of emergency.
• In connection with protests in US cities embassies of Ukraine and Russia asked their citizenslocated in the United States, maintain order and avoid crowds wherever possible and comply with security measures.
• June 1, Donald Trump enacted the law of 1807, allowing him send riot troops in connection with the death of George Floyd.
• According to the official autopsy of George Floyd, his death was caused by mechanical asphyxia and should be considered violent.
• On June 4, former Minneapolis police officers identified as accomplices in the murder of George Floyd during his arrest, taken into custody.
• On April 6, Derek Chauvin's lawyer presented a video in court. The footage reveals that the officer did not actually choke Floyd with his knee, as previously thought. The video was filmed with a chest camera of one of the police officers involved in the arrest of Floyd. On frames You can seethat Chauvin's knee rests not on Floyd's neck, but on his back.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Minnesota Police Shoot African American: Protests Erupted Again in State

Minneapolis government to pay $ 27 million to family of African American killed by police

In Louisiana, 12-year-old boy's birthday ends in gunfight: 9 children injured

'May die in the coming days': world celebrities turned to Putin because of Navalny

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.