A Minneapolis jury found ex-police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd. Follow this live blog for developments in the case and local reactions around metro Atlanta.
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff released the following statement:
“George Floyd’s murderer has been convicted, but brutality and racial bias will persist in our justice system until we enact reform. I am urging my colleagues in the Senate to pass criminal justice reform that will ensure public safety, rebuild trust between communities and law enforcement, and secure equal justice for all.”
U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock issued the following statement:
“First and foremost, I’m thinking about George Floyd’s children and his family, and I’m thankful that they received something that approaches justice today after the trauma they’ve endured—one we’ve seen visited upon Black people and communities of color time and time again, and that never becomes less painful.
“Today’s verdict affirming Derek Chauvin’s responsibility for killing George Floyd is the right outcome in this trial, but it is not justice for George Floyd, who should still be here with us, nor for his family and community, who have suffered an immeasurable loss.
“We know that there cannot be healing without justice, and likewise, we still have much work to do in the Senate not only to create true justice that prevents more senseless killings of Black people, but to push our system closer to our ideals of equal protection under the law. That’s why reforming policing on the federal level is so imperative, and why Congress must pass legislation like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that will help end this cycle of violence and bend the moral arc of the universe closer to justice.
“As a voice for Georgians in the Senate, and as a Black man, I hope today’s verdict is the beginning of a turning point in our country where people who have seen this trauma over and over again will know it is possible to have equal protection under the law. And in the meantime, I’m going to continue pushing with everything I can to make sure our federal government honors people’s humanity and recognizes their citizenship—whether it’s at the polls, or during their interactions with police.”
The Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms released the following statement:
“While I am grateful that the verdict is guilty on all three counts, there is no verdict or punishment that will bring George Floyd back to his family. As tragedies have propelled our nation into a level of needed consciousness and action in the past, it is my sincere hope that the tragic death of George Floyd will forever be our reminder that the work towards reform, healing and reconciliation is not a one time event. We must continue this work if we ever hope to truly be one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”
The King Center’s released the following statement:
Fulton County Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman released the following statement:
“Today, America is on the right side of history with the jury in Minneapolis finding Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts: two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter. This decision of the jury shows that in America when we hear all the evidence, see all the evidence and examine it with an open and fair mind, justice can be found in America.While today’s verdict is a reason to have some joy, we must be vigilant in understanding that today is just the start of America beginning to regain its soul. How future cases pan out will determine whether redemption is fully realized.There must be no more George Floyd cases; no more Daunte Wrights, who was the 20-year-old Black man (who possessed no weapon) fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop just 10 minutes from the courthouse of the Chauvin trial as it was underway.All of us must do all we can to end this trend of senseless murder and death, which will lead our country on a path to internal destruction if it does not stop.I stand with all those who demand justice, peace and freedom. But we must understand that you cannot have one without the other two components. There will be no peace, without freedom, and there is no freedom without justice.”
Congressman Hank Johnson released the following statement:
“Today, justice has been served. The prosecution scored a slam dunk and the jury agreed. As prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said during closing arguments: ‘while some believe George Floyd died from an enlarged heart, he actually died because ex-officer Derek Chauvin’s heart was too small.’ While today we recognize that justice was served, one case will not change broken-taillight policing in Black and brown communities. We must continue our work to reform the police and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. As members of Congress, we must continue to advance reform of our criminal justice system and pass police accountability legislation. We must act now to halt the brutal injustice of police misconduct, the taking of lives, or George Floyd will have died in vain.”
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