Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd in a jury decision that US president Joe Biden said had the potential to be “a moment of significant change”.
Floyd’s death last year set off worldwide protests against racial injustice and Chauvin’s trial became one of the most closely watched US court cases in years.
Chauvin, 45, was found guilty on all three charges — second-degree and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The second-degree murder count, the most serious charge, carries a prison sentence of up to 40 years.
Biden called Floyd’s family after the verdict. “At least, God, now there is some justice,” he told them.
In a subsequent speech at the White House, the president expressed his relief at the result but noted that such verdicts were “much too rare”.
“Nothing can ever bring their brother, their father back. But this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America,” he said, while also calling for police reform.
Chauvin, wearing a grey suit, a blue tie and a mask, furrowed his brow only slightly when the verdict was read. He was led away in handcuffs and will be sentenced in eight weeks.
The 12-member jury took less than a day to reach their verdict, which followed a highly-charged, three-week trial that left Minneapolis on edge.
Several hundred people cheered outside the court as the verdict was announced.
The Floyd family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, said it marked a “turning point in history” for the US.
“Painfully earned justice has finally arrived,” he tweeted. “[It] sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement.”
ITV; Floyd’s family spoke out after the verdict
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