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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is expected to appeal his conviction after being found guilty on all charges in the murder of George Floyd.
The jury found Chauvin was:
- Guilty of second-degree unintentional murder
- Guilty of third-degree murder
- Guilty of second-degree manslaughter
Joe Biden said the conviction of Chauvin in the killing of Mr Floyd could be “a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. But he declared that “it’s not enough.”
Chauvin remains in the maximum security prison there and is currently under “administrative segregation”, otherwise known as solitary confinement, for his safety, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections told CNN.
On Wednesday, US Attorney General Merrick Garland launched a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis, which “will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests”.
Sentencing was scheduled for 16 June, exactly eight weeks from today.
Read More:
- What happened to the other officers arrested over George Floyd death?
- Minnesota crowd reacts to Chauvin verdict
- George Floyd’s family learn verdict was in from CNN
- Derek Chauvin found guilty on all murder charges
- How long will Derek Chauvin get in jail and what does the verdict mean?
- Who is Derek Chauvin's ex-wife, who filed for divorce after George Floyd's death?
Read The Independent’s updates and analysis below.
What will happen if Derek Chauvin is acquitted?
The nation is bracing itself for a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd last May, as proceedings draw to a close.
After closing arguments were delivered on Monday following three weeks of testimony, the jury was sequestered to begin their deliberations in the last phase of the trial.
Mr Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
The jury will decide whether to find Mr Chauvin guilty or not guilty on each count in a trial that has been regarded as one of the most important civil rights cases in a generation.
Read Louise Hall’s full report on what will happen here:
What will happen if Derek Chauvin is acquitted?
Jurors have been sequestered to begin deliberations on the case
Bernie Sanders calls for ‘justice for George Floyd'
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has called for “justice for George Floyd,” in a Twitter post following the end of closing arguments in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday.
“Justice for George Floyd, Adam Toledo, Daunte Wright and too many before them must include a national transformation that brings accountability for all officers who murder, including firings, criminal and civil penalties,” he tweeted.
Mr Chauvin is currently awaiting the verdict in his trial for the murder of unarmed Black man George Floyd, who died in the former Minneapolis police officer’s custody last May after he knelt on his neck for close to nine minutes.
The verdict comes amid recent protests in the city relating to the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Black Man Daunte Wright, who was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop last week.
Ilhan Omar and Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott to address press where Daunte Wright was killed
Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar and Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott are set to address reporters at a press conference located where Daunte Wright was killed.
Mr Wright, an unarmed, 20-year-old Black man was killed by officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop last week, where authorities say she mistakenly fired her gun thinking it was her Taser.
The killing sparked anger across the US, but especially in Minnesota, as it came amid the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering unarmed Black man George Floyd last year.
Tucker Carlson accuses media of ‘lynching’ Derek Chauvin
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has come under fire for accusing the media of “lynching” Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer on trial in the death of George Floyd.
Claiming that most Americans “still cannot say with any specificity just how” Mr Floyd died, Mr Carlson added: “The closing arguments are a chance to assess actual evidence in the case, and you would think that would be good news, more facts, which we could always use.
“But, no, said the media. Facts no longer matter, not when [Black Lives Matter’s] founding myth is at stake. Evidence only counts in countries that have due process, something they are now telling us is an ugly relic of institutional racism,” Mr Carlson said on his Monday night show.
He continued: “When unpopular people seem guilty, you just go ahead and punish them, that’s the new rule. Years ago we called this lynching, now we call it equity.”
Read Gustaf Kilander’s full report here:
Tucker Carlson accuses media of ‘lynching’ Derek Chauvin
‘Evidence only counts in countries that have due process, something they are now telling us is an ugly relic of institutional racism,’ Carlson claims
Brooklyn Center Mayor says protesting is ‘a fundamental right in our country'
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott has said that protesting is “such a fundamental right in our country” during a press conference at the location where Daunte Wright was killed.
“I’m reminded about the march on Selma. If you all are recall, those people were given dispersal orders from law enforcement, much like we see here in Brooklyn Center,” Mr Elliott said. “They did not disperse. They chose civil disobedience.”
The mayor went on to say that police should not use rubber bullets or tear gas when dealing with protesters.
Mr Wright, an unarmed, 20-year-old Black man was killed by officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop last week, where authorities say she mistakenly fired her gun thinking it was her Taser.
The killing sparked anger across the US, but especially in Minnesota, as it came amid the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering unarmed Black man George Floyd last year.
Ilhan Omar says current policing system not ‘doing anything to protect and serve'
Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar has said that current the policing system is not “doing anything to protect and serve”, while speaking at a press conference at the location where Daunte Wright was killed.
“The current policing system that we have is not doing anything to protect and serve, so what will it take for us to have a system we are all protected by.
“What does it take for us to have the resources in our community that would essentially provide the safety that we all need,” Ms Omar said.
“I am constantly appalled by the fact that it is easy for municipalities, for the state, for the federal gov, to readily come up with resources to police and brutalise people but when it comes to coming up for resources to provide healthcare, to provide mental health services, to provide housing, to provide the things that we need for our wellbeing, as a community so that we can thrive, they put in the backburner.”
Mr Wright, an unarmed, 20-year-old Black man was killed by officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop last week, where authorities say she mistakenly fired her gun thinking it was her Taser.
The killing sparked anger across the US, but especially in Minnesota, as it came amid the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering unarmed Black man George Floyd last year.
Seven Minnesota counties enter state of emergency ahead of Chauvin verdict
Seven counties surrounding the city of Minneapolis entered a state of emergency on Monday, as closing arguments came in the trial of Derek Chauvin.
Mr Chuavin is on trial for the killing of George Floyd in police custody on 25 May 2020, and the fate of the former officer – and of US policing – is currently being decided by a jury.
On Monday, Minnesota governor Tim Walz said the state of emergency followed “looting” and “damage” caused by demonstrators in both Minneapolis and the suburb of Brooklyn Center.
The Minneapolis suburb was the centre of recent unrest after the fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright on 11 April, and officials anticipate further demonstrations after the trial of Mr Chauvin formally ends.
In a statement, Mr Walz said the police chiefs of the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul asked for out-of-state assistance with policing, called Operation Safety Net.
Read Gino Spocchia’s full report here:
Seven Minnesota counties in state of emergency for Chauvin verdict
Tim Walz says local and state resources ‘exhausted’ by Brooklyn Centre killing
Biden says he’s ‘praying’ for the ‘right verdict’ and calls evidence ‘overwhelming’
President Joe Biden has said that he is “praying” for the “right verdict” in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin, calling evidence “overwhelming”
“I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict. The evidence is overwhelming in my view,” Mr Biden told reporters in the oval office on Tuesday.
Mr Chauvin is currently standing trial for the murder of unarmed Black man George Floyd, who died in the former Minneapolis police officer’s custody last May after he knelt on his neck for close to nine minutes.
President Biden confirmed that he called Mr Floyd’s family after the jury had been sequestered to tell them that he was praying for them.
“I’ve come to know George’s family, not just in passing. I’ve spent time with them, I’ve spent time with his little daughter Gianna — you should see this beautiful child — and his brother, both brothers, as a matter of fact.
“So I can only imagine the pressure and anxiety that they’re feeling. And so I waited until the jury was sequestered, and then I called.”
Read Graeme Massie’s full report here:
Joe Biden calls prosecution’s evidence in the George Floyd case ‘overwhelming’
Joe Biden has called the prosecution’s evidence in the George Floyd case “overwhelming” as the jury considers murder charges against Derek Chauvin.
Jury deliberations enters ninth hour
The jury in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has entered the ninth hour of its deliberations.
They have now been discussing the case for four hours today, following the four hours they spent yesterday after being sequestered.
The jury is staying in a hotel at night to make sure they are not influenced by media coverage of the high-profile case.
Bush says Chauvin trial conducted ‘fairly'
Former President George W Bush has said that the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was conducted “fairly”.
Speaking on NBC’s Today show in his first live television interview in three years, Mr Bush was asked his thoughts on the impact of the verdict on the country.
“I think the first thing, Hoda, is that people know that the trial has been conducted fairly and that rule of law reigns supreme in our judiciary.
“We’ll see what a jury of his peers says,” he said. “I think a lot of people have already made up their mind what the verdict ought to be. All I can tell you this is that if the trial is not conducted fairly, there is an appeal process.”
The former president added that a fair judicial system is “really important for the confidence of the American people”
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