Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty by a jury for the murder of George Floyd.
Chauvin, 45, has been found guilty of all charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The white former officer pinned the Black man to the pavement on May 25, 2020 for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds.
The jury of six white members and six Black or multiracial ones have finished deliberations after about 10 hours over two days.
The video of Floyd gasping that he couldn’t breathe as bystanders yelled at Chauvin to get off him triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious examination of racism and policing in the US.
Prosecutors in their closing arguments said Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd in a way that even a child knew was wrong.
The defence contended that Chauvin acted reasonably and that the 46-year-old Black man died of an underlying heart condition and illegal drug use.
The maximum sentence for second-degree unintentional murder is imprisonment of not more than 40 years. The maximum sentence for third-degree murder is imprisonment of not more than 25 years. The maximum sentence for second-degree manslaughter is 10 years and/or $20,000.
Chauvin's sentencing is scheduled for eight weeks from now, with an exact date yet to be confirmed.
Chauvin will be remanded until sentencing.
The Hennepin County court is ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and thousands of National Guard troops and law enforcement officers have been brought in ahead of the verdict. Some businesses are boarded up with plywood.
People outside the court could be heard celebrating, hugging and chanting "say his name, George Floyd".
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