A jury in the United States has found a police officer guilty on three counts of murder following the death of George Floyd last year.
A jury of 12 people rendered its momentous verdict on former Minneapolis Police Officer, Derek Chauvin, Tuesday.
After three weeks of video evidence, witness statements and expert testimony, the jury was sent to deliberations Monday evening.
The body deliberated for 10 hours and reached a unanimous verdict. Chauvin was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
He faces up to 40 years in prison for second-degree unintentional murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. The charges were considered separate, and Chauvin was convicted of all.
The end of the trial comes 11 months after Floyd’s death on a Minneapolis street set off widespread protests about how police treat Black people.
The video of Floyd pleading for help as Chauvin knelt on him was seen around the world last year, igniting a wave of protests over police brutality, and systemic racism.
“George Floyd’s final words on May 25, 2020, were, ‘Please, I can’t breathe,’ and he said those words to Derek Chauvin.
The presiding judge revoked Chauvin’s bail and ordered he be remanded into custody after announcing the jury’s verdict. Chauvin’s sentencing will take place in eight weeks.