Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is found guilty on all three counts of murdering George Floyd. 

The Incident

Last May, Chauvin and three other officers arrested Floyd for paying with an alleged counterfeit bill at a market called Cup Foods. Body cam footage showed officers approaching Floyd’s SUV gun drawn and demanding him to leave his vehicle. Floyd was in distress and scared but compliant until he panicked and didn’t want to get in the police cruiser because he was claustrophobic. Forced in the cruiser, Floyd was. Chauvin dragged him out and kneeled on his neck. Two other officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, also kneeled on Floyd as he cried out for his deceased mother and gasped for air.

Floyd yelled out, “I can’t breath” and “your killing me”. Subsequently Chauvin applied more pressure and yells back, “get up, get in the car”.

The fourth officer, Tou Thao, keeps the growing crowd away as he ignores their pleas to stop killing him. Paramedics had to make Chauvin get off Floyd’s neck after he was on him for nine minutes. 

He went into cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital. Consequently, Floyd pronounces dead upon his arrival. According to Fox 9, separate autopsies conducted by Hennepin County Medical Examiner and a private examiner hired by Floyd’s family. The private examiner declared his death a homicide caused by “asphyxia from sustained pressure.” On the other hand, The Hennepin County Examiner also declared Floyd’s death a homicide but cited a combination of medical issues, intoxication, and restraining his cause of death. Methamphetamine and fentanyl found in his system. 

The Trial

The trial of Chauvin began on March 8 and was broadcasted live throughout the world. The jurors are carefully selected, each having their identities hidden. Only information known is six white, four black, and two multiracial jurors. The prosecution team was led by Attorney General Kieth Ellison including four other lawyers, Eric Nelson was defending Chauvin.

The Prosecution

Opening statements and prosecution began on March 29. The defense called 38 witnesses to testify against Chauvin including witnesses, fellow officers, and medical experts. Footage taken from bystanders and the officer’s body cams were their main evidence. The Cup Foods employee, Christopher Martin, said he regrets calling the police on Floyd for giving him a counterfeit $20 bill. Another witness, a minor, said Chauvin stared at her with a cold look as he kneeled on Floyd. One of the cops that testified against Chauvin was LT. Richard Zimmerman, the oldest officer of the Minneapolis Police Department.  He said kneeling on someone’s neck is unnecessary since he was in handcuffs already. A toxicologist Daniel Isenschmid, said he had too little fentanyl and Methamphetamine to cause an overdose. 

The Defense

The strategy of the defense was to create doubt in the cause of Floyd’s death. For instance, one witness called to Chauvin’s aid was Officer Peter Chang, who testified the crowd was aggressive and made the officers nervous. In a previous incident in 2019 two witness were present. Agitated and unresponsive to commands when he arrested him, said the witness. Meanwhile, paramedic Michelle Moseng responded to the same arrest as Creighton. He said Floyd’s use of Percocet and his high blood pressure put him at risk of having a stroke.

Additionally, David Fowler, a retired pathologist who often defends police officers, was also a defense witness. He said, “In my opinion, Mr. Floyd had a sudden cardiac arrhythmia … due to his atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease.” He also argued carbon monoxide emissions from the police cruiser’s exhaust pipe may have killed him. 

The Conclusion

According to the Associated Press, the prosecution insisted Chauvin murdered Floyd. On the other hand, the defense continue to create doubt by saying his health issues and drug addiction were causes of death. For instance, Nelson even suggested aliens may have caused Chauvin to kill Floyd. 

The Jury reached a verdict after ten hours of deliberations. Subsequently, Chauvin is guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. According to ABC News, Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison. Sentenced in eight weeks, he will be.

Chauvin is in solitary confinement at Oak Park Heights Correctional Facility until his sentencing.