A US white former police officer convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd (48) in Minneapolis in May 2020 has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in jail.
The judge said Derek Chauvin’s sentence was based on the fact that he had abused his position of trust and authority, “and also the particular cruelty shown”.
During the sentencing hearing, Floyd’s brother Terrence Floyd demanded the maximum available, a sentence of 40 years.
Chauvin (45) was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges last month. During his trial, his lawyer described the killing as “an error made in good faith”.
Chauvin was also told to register as a predatory offender and was barred from owning firearms for life.
He and three other former officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, are separately charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
The three former officers were fired and arrested days after Floyd’s death and are due to face trial in March 2022 on state charges that they aided and abetted second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd.
The Floyd family and their supporters welcomed the sentence. Lawyer Ben Crump tweeted:
This historic sentence brings the Floyd family and our nation one step closer to healing by delivering closure and accountability.
Chauvin was captured on cellphone video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes while arresting him.
The murder caused global protests against racism and police brutality.