George Floyd's brother has said the family 'can breathe again' following the conviction of Derek Chauvin for Floyd's murder. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter and now faces between 12.5 and 75 years behind bars.
Philonise Floyd, George's younger brother, said:
"Today, we are able to breathe again. Justice for George means freedom for all."
George Floyd had said 'I can't breathe' on several occasions as he was pinned to the ground during his murder.
Chauvin, a serving police officer, stopped Floyd after he was accused of passing a fake $20 note in a convenience store. Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground by putting his knee on his neck for almost 9 minutes which caused Floyd to suffocate to death.
The jury took less than 10 hours to reach their unanimous verdict.
In an official statement after the verdict, US President Joe Biden said:
"Today, a jury in Minnesota found former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd last May. It was a murder in the full light of day, and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism the Vice President just referred to — the systemic racism that is a stain our nation's soul; the knee on the neck of justice for Black Americans; the profound fear and trauma, the pain, the exhaustion that Black and brown Americans experience every single day."
He added:
"The murder of George Floyd launched a summer of protest we hadn't seen since the Civil Rights era in the '60s — protests that unified people of every race and generation in peace and with purpose to say, "Enough. Enough. Enough of the senseless killings."
The killing of George Floyd sparked a huge wave of protests across the United States against police brutality and racism, much of which was organised by the Black Lives Matter movement. These protests were attended by millions of people despite Covid-19 restrictions being in place.
While the vast majority of protests were peaceful, some did descend into riots, while looting and violence took place.
Three more officers who were present at Floyd's murder are soon to start their own trial.
[h/t: Daily Mail]
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