Former American police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison by the United States federal justice system on Thursday July 7 for the murder of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota (United States). ), May 25, 2020.
The 46-year-old former white agent was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison by the Minnesota state justice on June 25, 2021. Three months later, he appealed 14 points of his conviction. The federal sentence of 21 years in prison, concomitant, is itself final since it results from a plea agreement. It can be served at the same time as the other sentence, said Judge Paul Magnuson of the Saint-Paul court, giving him credit for the seven months already spent in detention. “I don’t know why you did this, but putting your knee on someone’s neck until they die is wrong. And for that you must be punished severely”launched the magistrate to the former agent.
Federal justice had opened its own proceedings by indicting Derek Chauvin, as well as his three former colleagues, for “violation of the constitutional rights” of George Floyd, more particularly “the right not to be the victim of unreasonable use of force by a police officer”.
In the federal case, the former police officer first pleaded not guilty, before changing his strategy in December 2021, admitting some responsibility for the first time. In his admission of guilt, he admitted to having abused force, “knowing it was wrong”and “without legal justification”.
On May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin wanted to arrest George Floyd, suspected of having used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. With three colleagues, he had tackled him to the ground, before kneeling on his neck. The policeman had maintained his pressure for nearly ten minutes, indifferent to the groans of George Floyd but also to the pleas of panicked passers-by, even once the pulse of the forties became undetectable.
The scene, filmed and posted online, sparked huge protests against racism and police brutality across the United States and beyond.