Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer on trial for the murder of George Floyd, has been found guilty by a jury on all three counts.
Crowds gathered around the Minneapolis courthouse when news came Tuesday afternoon that Chauvin was convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin, who faces up to 40 years in prison, is expected to be sentenced in eight weeks.
Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked protests and social justice movements around the globe, including in Salt Lake City, after video surfaced of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. The video showed bystanders trying to help Floyd and pleading with the former officer, and another whose knee was on Floyd’s back, to stop applying force. Floyd expressed his fear with the statement, “I can’t breathe.”
Shortly after the verdict, the Floyd family attorney, Benjamin Crump, held a press conference addressing the decision.
“We’re going to try to leave here today knowing that America is a better country,” he said. “America, let’s pause for a moment to proclaim this historical moment, not just for the legacy of George Floyd but for the legacy of America.”
View our photos from last year’s demonstration in Salt Lake City, courtesy of former Globe photographer Jared Stanger.
