MINNEAPOLIS (WAND) - A jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of all three charges in the George Floyd murder case.
The verdict, read after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, found Chauvin guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The jury deliberated for about 10 hours, with talks beginning Monday after closing arguments were presented. They stopped at 8 p.m. Monday and resumed Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Chauvin's bail was revoked and he was taken from the courtroom by authorities in handcuffs. His sentencing hearing is in eight weeks from April 20.
Gov. JB Pritzker issued the following statement after the verdict was reached:
“No courtroom can ever replace a life, but it can and should deliver justice. Today, the jury in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial honored that truth.
“My heart goes out to the family of George Floyd, who deserve to have him alive today. I’m also thinking of all our Black communities and other communities of color who see their children or their parents or themselves in George Floyd, and Daunte Wright, and Adam Toledo, and Breonna Taylor, and Laquan McDonald.
“This verdict marks an important milestone on the journey to justice, but the fullest measure of progress is how we deliver accountability, safety and meaningful change.
“In Illinois, we are addressing law enforcement reform, criminal justice reform, economic opportunity, educational equity and health care.
“We can and must make progress every day until we have a state and a nation and a justice system that truly serve everyone. And as long as there’s more work to be done, that’s what we’ll do.”
Another statement came from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul:
“Today justice was served, and I hope this verdict brings some measure of peace to the family and friends of George Floyd, and allows them to begin recovering not just from Floyd’s tragic death but also from the trauma of the trial. I am also hopeful that this verdict will begin the healing our country needs.
“I would like to congratulate my colleague, Keith Ellison, on a well-conducted prosecution. It should be noted that the successful prosecution was obtained with testimony of fellow officers within the Minneapolis Police Department who refused to sign off on an illegal and unconscionable use of force. Let that be a new standard.
“While George Floyd was not the first unarmed Black man to die at the hands of police, his death galvanized Americans in a historic way. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to remain at home with little else to distract from the horror of the video depicting George Floyd’s cries for his mother as he struggled to breathe. As a result, streets throughout the country filled with people demanding change to the status quo.
“Today’s verdict must not mark an end to a struggle toward eliminating the systemic problems that have tolerated police misconduct. It would be a mistake to take the ‘bad-apple’ approach to evaluating the impact of this case. I, for my part, am committed to utilizing the tools and resources of my office toward confronting the systemic problems that have tolerated unconstitutional policing in departments throughout the country. I will also continue to partner with community leaders, advocates and law enforcement agencies to enact policies that facilitate preventing future tragedies.”
