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Derek Chauvin trial following the death of George Floyd, 2021
On April 20, 2021, the jury in the trial of police officer Derek Chauvin found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.[1][2] On June 25, 2021, Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 and a half years in prison.[3]
The trial in the case of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin began on March 8, 2021. It charged Chauvin with the unlawful killing of George Floyd in 2020.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presided over the case. Cahill assumed office in 2007 and was county deputy attorney before then. The jury in the trial was selected on March 23, and opening statements were made on March 29. Closing statements were made on April 19.[4]
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested Floyd, a Black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill.[5] Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs.[6] Both the Hennepin County medical examiner and an independent autopsy conducted by Floyd's family ruled Floyd's death as a homicide stemming from the incident.[7] The medical examiner's report, prepared by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, said that it was "not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process."[7]
Floyd's death was filmed and shared widely, leading to activity regarding racism, civil rights, and police use of force. The first events took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26.[8] An event in Chicago organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger took place the same day, making it the first major city outside of Minneapolis to host an event in response to Floyd's death.[9]
Timeline
- May 25, 2020: George Floyd was arrested in Minneapolis and died soon after
- March 5, 2021: State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin was filed in the Minnesota Court of Appeals
- March 8, 2021: Derek Chauvin's trial began in the case State of Minnesota v. Derek Chauvin
- March 23, 2021: The jury was selected with 12 jurors and three alternates
- March 12, 2021: Minneapolis agreed to pay a $27 million settlement to the Floyd Family
- March 29, 2021: Opening statements were made
- April 15, 2021: Testimony ended
- April 19, 2021: Closing arguments began
- April 20, 2021: The jury found Chauvin guilty on two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter
- June 5, 2021: Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 and a half years in prison.
See also
- Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020
- Changes to policing policy in the states and 100 largest cities, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "Jury reaches verdict in Chauvin trial," April 20, 2021
- ↑ The New York Times, "Derek Chauvin Trial Live Updates: Chauvin Found Guilty of Murdering George Floyd," April 20, 2021
- ↑ ABC News, "Live updates: Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22 and a half years in death of George Floyd," June 25, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Judicial Branch, "27-CR-20-12646: State vs. Derek Chauvin," accessed April 16, 2021
- ↑ Washington Post, "The death of George Floyd: What video and other records show about his final minutes," May 30, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody," May 31, 2020
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 USA Today, "Medical examiner and family-commissioned autopsy agree: George Floyd's death was a homicide," June 1, 2020
- ↑ CNN, "Protests across America after George Floyd's death," accessed June 2, 2020
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "Protest Held In Chicago After Death Of George Floyd During Arrest By Minneapolis Police," May 26, 2020
