Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer, has been convicted for the murder of George Floyd
The jury at a Minnesota state court found Chauvin guilty on all three counts of murder at its sitting on Tuesday.
Floyd, an African American, died in May 2020 after Chauvin pinned him to the ground and knelt on his neck.
The former officer was arresting him for allegedly spending a counterfeit $20 note in a shop.
The video of the incident in which Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” went viral and sparked major protests within and outside the US.
An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of Floyd’s death was linked to pressure on his neck.
Chauvin was sacked from his job alongside three other officers involved in the incident.
He was also charged with unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
He had pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
During his trial, Steve Schleicher, Floyd’s lawyer, had talked about what he believed to be the deceased’s “desperate struggle” to lift his chest and fill his lungs with air.
He had also reminded the judges of Floyd’s last words: “Please, I can’t breathe.”
But Eric Nelson, the defence attorney, had argued that there is no evidence that Floyd’s airflow was restricted during his arrest.
“The use of force is not attractive, but it is a necessary component of policing,” he had said.
He had also said Chauvin “did exactly what he had been trained to do over the course of his 19-year career”. (The Cable)
