Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison on Friday, June 25th. Delivered by Judge Peter A. Cahill of Hennepin County District Court, the former police officer was convicted of murder for the death of George Floyd.
Prosecutors were asking for 30 years while his lawyers asked for probation and time served. In 2022, Chauvin pressed his knee on the neck of Floyd for more than nine minutes, moments later he was pronounced dead.
Chauvin, who has been in jail since his trial offered his condolences to the Floyd family. He is credited for 199 days already served and will be kept in solitary confinement for his safety.
Bridgett Floyd, the sister of George Floyd shared a few words:
“The sentence handed down today to the Minneapolis police officer who killed my brother George Floyd shows that matters of police brutality are finally being taken seriously,” the statement said. “However, we have a long way to go and many changes to make before Black and Brown people finally feel like they are being treated fairly and humanely by law enforcement in this country.”
She adds:
“Our focus at the George Floyd Memorial Foundation will now move to building support to ensure that the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act becomes law and brings with it the hope for the substantive change that we need so desperately in this country.”