Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.
Chauvin was found guilty, back in April, of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Judge Peter Cahill said the sentence was not based on emotion or sympathy, but wanted to acknowledge the “deep and tremendous pain” the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family.
I’m not basing my sentence on public opinion. “The job of a trial court judge is to apply the law to facts,” Cahill said before sentencing.
Chauvin, for the first time, addressed the court, albeit very briefly. He said he was not able to give a full formal statement because of other legal matters, but did give his condolences to the the Floyd family.
He went on to tell the family that new additional information would be coming the future that will hopefully give them some peace of mind, but did not elaborate any further.
After Chauvin’s brief statement, the court went into a 15-minute recess before the judge came back and rendered the sentencing
Victim impact statements were read to the court at the beginning of today’s sentencing. George Floyd’s daughter and brother were among those who spoke, sharing emotional stories of Floyd’s death and the impact it has had on them and their family.
His daughter, Gianna, shared her memories of her dad in a video shown to the court before the sentencing.
“We used to have dinner meals every single night before we went to bed,” she said. “My daddy always used to help me brush my teeth,” Gianna said.
Many of those who spoke asked the judge for the maximum sentence for Chauvin.
Derek Chauvin’s mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, also spoke in front of the judge today, saying that her “son is a good man.” She said he dedicated his free time to the police department, even on his days off.
His mother said that although she hasn’t spoke publicly, she has supported her son 100 percent since the incident.
“A lengthy sentence will not serve Derek well. When you sentence my son, you will also be sentencing me,” Pawlenty said.
Earlier Friday, Judge Cahill denied a request for a new trial, saying defense attorney Eric Nelson has not shown that abused its discretion and denied Chauvin the right to a fair trial.
Chauvin, 45, pinned Floyd to a Minneapolis street for about 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020, ignoring the Black man’s cries of “I can’t breathe” and the shouts of onlookers. Bystander video of Floyd’s death sparked protests in Minneapolis, some violent, and quickly spread around the world.
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