MINNEAPOLIS, MN (WKZO AM/FM) — The former police officer accused in the death of George Floyd has been found guilty on all charges, as decided by a jury verdict Tuesday.
Derek Chauvin was found guilty on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The penalty can result in up to forty years in prison for the second-degree count.
The incident occurred in late May 2020, when Chauvin and three other officers attempted to arrest Floyd for allegedly trying to pass a fake bill.
Video footage showed that Chauvin had knelt down on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, during which Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe.
The response resulted in protests and unrest across the nation, including demonstrations in Kalamazoo. During a virtual meeting Monday night, the Kalamazoo City Commission discussed the trial before the verdict day.
Commissioner Eric Cunningham said he wants those who have held recent protests, which have remained peaceful, to keep positively engaging with local leaders and law enforcement.
“I just want to encourage individuals in our community to continue to communicate, continue to love, to stay encouraged, and be safe,” Commissioner Cunningham said.
On a state level, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement via Twitter shortly after the verdict was announced.
My heart is with George Floyd’s family, and I want them to know that millions of Michiganders, Minnesotans, and Americans mourn with them. No verdict can bring George back, but his legacy will live on.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) April 20, 2021
In a separate Twitter message, Whitmer added the following:
“Last year, millions of people around the world spoke with a collective voice when we said Black Lives Matter. Together, we will continue tackling the deep-rooted, structural racism and inequity present in our institutions and faced by Black Americans every day.”
In addition, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist provided the following message on Twitter:
Today, justice was served for George Floyd and his family. As a Black man in America, I have felt the sting of racism and injustice personally, and too many of our brothers and sisters know the visceral pain and exhaustion that communities of color face every day.
— Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II (@LtGovGilchrist) April 20, 2021
Gilchrist continued,
“That is why we must honor George Floyd’s legacy and the legacy of countless others as we advance justice and tackle inequities through our words and deeds.”
He added that people “must continue to press for policies that protect and expand access to justice and opportunity.”
This news comes as other protests for another recent police shooting of a black man, Daunte Wright of Minnesota, have been held, including in Kalamazoo.
Reactions from local and state leaders:
State Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) –
“After repeated injustices, today’s verdict is long overdue. Last summer, the world witnessed the unacceptable use of excessive police force as George Floyd took his final breaths. Police officers are supposed to protect and serve their community. Not serve as judge, jury, and executioner.
The Black Lives Matter movement does not end today. We must use these atrocities as a catalyst to work for immediate reform in our law enforcement and criminal justice departments. It is beyond time that we specifically address the systemic racism Black members of our community face each and every day.”
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson:
“Justice has been served. Yet our work to dismantle systemic racism, in policing and all its forms, must continue. We must eliminate the barriers that have prevented or made it more difficult for Black Michiganders, as well as marginalized people of all races, to live, work, drive and vote in our state. I will continue to work to that end.”
Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Vernon Coakley:
Chief Coakley released a video to the Kalamazoo community hours before the jury verdict was read. In the video, Chief Coakley reminds residents about first amendment rights.
Chief Coakley’s video can be viewed here.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel:
“The death of George Floyd has rightfully been recognized as murder by the jurors in the trial of Derek Chauvin. It is now the obligation of elected officials, community leaders and the law enforcement community throughout this country to recognize the need for reforms to transition from policing by force to cooperative efforts to create safer communities.
“For too long, fear and brutality have been at the heart of how some individuals in law enforcement view their roles within our communities. The result has had devastating consequences for residents, and particularly the Black community and other communities of color.
Last year, I announced seven proposals as part of a series of actions for police reform. The proposals seek to increase transparency surrounding law enforcement agencies and ensure accountability from and for law enforcement officers.
“It is time to acknowledge that there are problems with how and who we police. Multiple lives have been lost at the hands of law enforcement since the death of Mr. Floyd. This serves as a constant reminder that those in communities of color continue to be wronged by a system that has repeatedly failed to protect them.
“It is incumbent upon the leaders of our communities, our state, and our nation to effectuate change. The murder of Mr. Floyd by a man who wore the uniform of those sworn to serve and protect cannot be allowed to pass as one more unfortunate moment in our nation’s history. We cannot simply be satisfied by a guilty verdict. It must be a catalyst for change.
“I am committed to using the authority of the Department of Attorney General to reform the system to hold bad officers accountable and ensure community policing is truly a partnership between our residents and the men and women who wear a uniform and pledge to help keep them safe.”
— This story will be updated with additional statements from local and state leaders. —
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