Here are the latest updates on the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd.


Derek Chauvin receives his sentence for killing George Floyd

Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 270 months after he was convicted earlier this year of killing George Floyd. That’s about 22.5 years.

Before the sentencing, there were reports that Chauvin could face a decades-long sentence.

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank spoke before the sentencing.

“What was Derek Chauvin’s endgame here?” Frank said. “What was the plan? It seems apparent the plan was hold him down until we can dump him in an ambulance and no longer have him be our problem.”

Later, the defense brought Carolyn Pawlenty, Derek Chauvin’s mother, to argue for a lighter setence. She said the judge would be sentencing her by sentencing Chauvin.

Eric Nelson, the defense attorney for Chauvin, said the court should consider Chauvin’s past history when issuing the sentence. He said it should not be all about the verdict. It should be about his past as an officer.

Chauvin addresed the court, too. He said he could not give a full statement, though.

“I am not able to give a full statement at this time, but very briefly, I want to give my condolences to the Floyd family,” he said. “There is going to be some other information in the future that will be of interest and I hope things will give you some peace of mind.”


Floyd’s family gives statements before sentencing

Friday, June 23, 12:34 p.m.

George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, gave a victim impact statement before the sentencing, too.

Floyd’s nephew, Brandon Williams, also gave a statement, saying Chauvin showed a “total lack of consideration for human life.”

Floyd’s brother Terrence Floyd also gave an emotional statement about Floyd’s death. He said he wanted Chauvin to answer a number of questions about the death, including: “What was going through your head when you had your knee on my brother’s neck? When you knew that he holds no threat anymore, and he was handcuffed?”

Another brother of Floyd, Philonise Floyd, said he had to relive the moments of his brother’s death multiple times. He called for the maximum sentence possible for Chauvin, asking for no parole or probation opportunities.

“My family and I have been given a life sentence. We will never be able to get George back. He will never be able to walk his daughter down the aisle ... She will never be able to have any special memories with her father.”


Derek Chauvin’s motion for a new trial denied

Friday, June 23, 11:25 a.m.

Chauvin’s request for a new trial was denied hours before his sentencing, according to CNN.

Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill said that Chauvin “failed to demonstrate ... the Court abused its discretion or committed error such that Defendant was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair trial,” according to CNN.

Chauvin’s attorneys previously made the case that “errors, abuses of discretion, prosecutorial and jury misconduct” had made the trial unfair for Chauvin, CNN reports.


Politicians and public figures react to the Chauvin verdict

Tuesday, April 19, 6:45 p.m.

A couple of hours after Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict was read, President Joe Biden said systemic racism was “a stain on our nation’s soul,” and that racism had led to George Floyd’s death.

  • The “men and women who wear the badge serve their communities honorably,” Biden added, and that those who don’t should be held accountable. He called on Congress to send “meaningful police reform” to the Oval Office.
  • “This can be a moment of significant change,” the president said, closing his speech Tuesday night.

Patrick Yoes, president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest police organization, said in a statement Tuesday that “our system of justice has worked as it should.”

  • “The trial was fair and due process was served. We hope and expect all of our fellow citizens will respect the rule of law and remain peaceful tonight and in the days to come,” Yoes said in the statement, which was posted on Twitter after the trial.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said on Twitter that Floyd had moved “to Minneapolis to better his life,” but instead Minneapolis took Floyd’s life.

  • “The jury joined in a shared conviction that has animated Minneapolis for the last 11 months. They refused to look away and affirmed he should still be here today,” Frey added.

Former Utah Rep. Mia Love said on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that “justice was served, but let’s remember the life that was lost.”

  • “This is justice that no family should ever have to await. Let’s all do our part to improve and heal our shared nation,” Love said on Twitter.

“The evidence of our eyes met at last by accountability in the eyes of justice,” said Stacey Abrams on Twitter — the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate who’s been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her years of effort to increase the turnout of Black voters.

“GUILTY!!!! As it should be!!” said actress Viola Davis on Twitter. “Now....Rest In Peace George Floyd. Rest. You and your family have been vindicated,” theMa Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Suicide Squad” actress said.


Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges

Tuesday, April 20, 3:10 p.m.

A dozen jurors have found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

A video of Floyd’s May 25, 2020, death went viral last summer and showed Chauvin, a white man, kneeling on the Black man’s neck and torso. In the video, Floyd could be heard pleading that he couldn’t breathe. The phrase “I can’t breathe” has since become a rally cry of police brutality protesters.

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The former police officer was remanded by Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies after the verdict was read. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled eight weeks from now, Minneapolis’ Fox 9 KMSP reported.

  • The jurors began their deliberations Monday afternoon and reached the verdict in about 10 hours, The Associated Press reported.
  • Chauvin had been charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, according to Minneapolis’ Star Tribune.
  • “The 12-person jury consists of five men and seven women. Six of the jurors are white, four are Black and two identify as mixed or multiracial. Two of the jurors are in their 20s, three are in their 30s, three are in their 40s, three are in their 50s and one is in their 60s,” according to Fox 9.

This story is breaking news and will be updated.


Jury reaches verdict

Tuesday, April 20, 1:53 p.m. MT

The jury in the Derek Chauvin trial has reached a verdict, The Associated Press reported.

The verdict is expected to be read between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Central, NBC News reported.


Biden ‘praying’ for ‘right verdict’

Tuesday, April 20, 12:40 p.m. MT

President Joe Biden said he is “praying” for the “right verdict” in the Derek Chauvin trial.

“I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is — I think it’s overwhelming, in my view,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Politico reported. “I wouldn’t say that unless the jury was sequestered now, not hearing me say that.”

  • The White House confirmed Tuesday that Biden had spoken with George Floyd’s brother on Monday, Politico reported, and the president said that call was made after the jury had started deliberations.
  • “I don’t think he (Biden) would see it as weighing in on the verdict,” White House press Jen Psaki said Tuesday, according to The Washington Post. “He was conveying what many people are feeling across the country, which is compassion for the family, what a difficult time this is, what a difficult time this is for many Americans across the country who have been watching this trial very closely.”

The jury began debating the merits of the case Monday afternoon and have been sequestered since that time.


Jury deliberates after judge admonishes political commentary

Tuesday, April 20, 10:30 a.m. MT

Judge Peter Cahill denied a motion by Derek Chauvin’s defense team to throw out the trial after a U.S. congresswoman encouraged protesters to “get more active” and to be “more confrontational” if Chauvin isn’t found guilty.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., made the comments to protesters this past weekend while visiting Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb where a Black man was killed by police the previous weekend, The Washington Post reported.

  • “The congresswoman’s opinion doesn’t matter a whole lot,” the judge said, but Waters’ comments could have given the defense “something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned,” according to Minneapolis’ Fox 9 KMSP.
  • Cahill “saved his harshest words for elected officials he said were speaking about the case ‘in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch,’” according to the Post.

Political leaders from California react to Waters’ comments

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said Monday that Waters’ comments were “dangerous” and that he would would bring legislation to the House floor to censure the congresswoman, Politico reported.

Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi defended her fellow California Democrat, saying Monday that “Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement,” reported Politico. “I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. They’ve handled this with great dignity,” Pelosi added, according to Politico.


Will Minneapolis see more protests?

Monday, April 19

Closing arguments in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin began Monday as the city braces for more protests.

Chauvin — who was fired and arrested after George Floyd died while in police custody last year — is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, according to Minneapolis’ Star Tribune.

Prosecutors have said that Chauvin killed Floyd by pinning him to the ground for more than nine minutes as the Black man said he couldn’t breathe, while the defense argued that drug use and heart disease led to Floyd’s death, Politico reported.

Floyd’s death, along with several other police killings of people of color last year, sparked national protests.

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Closing arguments and jury deliberation

On Monday, prosecutors and Chauvin’s defense got one last opportunity to outline their arguments before the jury begins their deliberations.

“Prosecutor Steve Schleicher will deliver the closing arguments for the state, followed by closing arguments from defense attorney Eric Nelson. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell will handle the rebuttal,” Minneapolis’ Fox 9 KMSP reported.

  • Jurors will stay overnight in hotel rooms and be sequestered during their deliberations, according to Fox 9.
  • Jurors will be able to review evidence, like video and photos, that were presented during the three-week trial, Fox 9 reported.
  • Jurors “need a unanimous decision on each charge, but they have the option to find Chauvin guilty of some charges and not guilty of others,” according to Fox 9.
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A timeline of the protests and trial

A video of George Floyd’s May 25, 2020, death went viral last summer and showed Chauvin, a white man, kneeling on the Black man’s neck and torso. Floyd had allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase cigarettes, and police were called.

  • Chauvin and three other Minneapolis police officers were fired the following day, Saint Paul’s ABC 5 KSTP reported.
  • Protesters and looters clashed with police in Minneapolis — exchanging bottles and rocks for rubber bullets and tear gas — and fires broke out across the city, ABC 5 reported.
  • In the days after Floyd’s death, Chauvin offered to plead guilty to third-degree murder and potentially serve 10 years in prison, as long as he went to federal prison and received “assurance he would not face federal civil rights charges,” The New York Times reported. Then-attorney general William Barr turned down the plea, saying it was too early in the investigation and left the case to the state, according to the Times.
  • Chauvin’s trial began last month on March 8 with jury selection, and opening arguments started three weeks later on March 29, Fox 9 reported.
  • “Chauvin invoked his Fifth Amendment right, preventing him from taking the witness stand to testify,” reported ABC 5.
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Minneapolis braces for more protests

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Minneapolis police, bracing for potentially more protests after Chauvin’s fate is announced, have been reinforced with additional law enforcement and National Guard resources.

Early Sunday morning, two Minnesota National Guard soldiers were wounded in a drive-by shooting while participating in Operation Safety Net, The Hill reported.

  • Operation Safety Net is a “joint undertaking by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the state of Minnesota and local jurisdictions to ‘protect people, freedom of speech and property during the Derek Chauvin trial as well as the aftermath of the police involved shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center,’” reported The Hill, citing a Minnesota National Guard statement.
  • According to the Minnesota National Guard statement, “the shooting occurred on or about 4:19 a.m. as a light colored SUV fired several shots at an Operation Safety Net security team providing neighborhood security.”
  • One soldier was wounded by shattering glass and transported to a hospital and another received “superficial injuries,”the statement says.

Also this past weekend, a Santa Rosa, California, home that had previously been a residence of one of Chauvin’s defense’s witnesses was vandalized with animal blood and a severed pig’s head, the Bay Area’s CBS 5 KPIX reported.

  • “Investigators believe the vandals thought that Barry Brodd — a former Santa Rosa police officer — still lived at the residence but he has not been a Santa Rosa resident for a number of years,” CBS 5 reported.
  • On behalf of the defense, Brodd testified last week that Chauvin was “acting with objective reasonableness,” CNN reported.

The Minneapolis courthouse, where Chauvin’s fate will be announced, is currently “surrounded by concrete barriers and razor wire,” Politico reported.

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