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Derek Chauvin found guilty on murder and manslaughter charges

Derek Chauvin is guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. 
Hennepin County sheriffs overlook the crowd of protesters from the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 28.
Image by Andy Kosier
Hennepin County sheriffs overlook the crowd of protesters from the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 28.

After nearly four weeks of testimony, a jury has found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.

The jury, which consisted of five men and seven women, deliberated for nearly 10 hours before reaching their verdict.

The convictions could carry a sentence of 12 and a half years in prison, but that number is subject to change. Judge Peter Cahill will be able to add time for aggravating factors, after the prosecution and defense submit written and oral arguments to him about how long they think Chauvin’s sentence should be. The maximum sentence is 40 years.

According to Cahill, sentencing will be announced eight weeks from now.

By finding him guilty of second-degree murder, the jury decided that Chauvin committed a felony by assaulting Floyd and contributed substantially to his death. Because Chauvin does not have a criminal record, the average sentence for second-degree murder is 150 months — about 12 and a half years. The maximum sentence is 40 years if Cahill granted an upwards departure.

By finding Chauvin guilty of third-degree murder, the jury determined that Chauvin acted with a “depraved mind,” meaning he acted with reckless disregard for Floyd’s life. This charge doesn’t indicate intent or that Chauvin committed assault against Floyd.

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder in 2019 and was sentenced to over 12 years for the offense. His case is up for appeal in June, which means Chauvin could appeal and have his ruling overturned, depending on the outcome of the Noor trial.

Second-degree manslaughter means that Chauvin was found guilty of having taken a conscious risk with Floyd’s life that resulted in his death. The sentence can be as high as 10 years in prison.

The trials for former Minneapolis police officers Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are scheduled for Aug. 23. They are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death.

This is a breaking news report. More information will be added as it becomes available.

Samantha Hendrickson, Lydia Morrell, J.D. Duggan, Samantha Woodward, Dylan Miettinen and Tiffany Bui contributed to this report. 

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  • #1 Wisco SportsFan
    Apr 26, 2021 at 8:22 am

    But you’re not. So your opinion is completely worthless.

  • Hah -hdoJa
    Apr 20, 2021 at 10:14 pm

    Wait when did anyone say that they would burn down Minneapolis if they didn’t find Chauvin guilty?

  • Dale J.
    Apr 21, 2021 at 2:51 am

    If I were a cop in mpls or anywhere in the metro especially hennepin county I would think twice before getting myself into compromising situations. In other words, be very cautious.

  • Terry Bigford
    Apr 21, 2021 at 1:08 am

    It was on tv

  • Terry Bigford
    Apr 21, 2021 at 1:07 am

    I agree with you. OJ simpson got away with murder he killed 2 people. Chauvin did the right thing

  • CapnRusty
    Apr 20, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    Does anyone think the jury wasn’t intimidated by the threats to burn down the city if they didn’t find Chauvin guilty?