Derek Chauvin Sentenced to 22 1/2 Years In The Murder of George Floyd
Not enough! Those were the sentiments of George Floyd’s family, social media and advocates in the Black community after the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
On April 20, 2021 the Black community and others across the nation anxiously awaited the jury’s verdict to be announced after ten hours of deliberation. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges, including second-degree murder. Chauvin’s sentencing decision is one of the longest prison terms ever imposed on a U.S. police officer in the killing of a Black person. But as we stated in the bigging of this article many feel “just because it’s the most time, doesn’t mean enough time.”
The Floyd family attorney Ben Crump and legal team released a statement after the sentencing news broke stating, “this historic sentence brings the Floyd family and our nation one step closer to healing by delivering closure and accountability.” The statement went on to read “For once, a police officer who wrongly took the life of a Black man was held to account, while this shouldn’t be exceptional, tragically it is. Day after day, year after year, police kill Black people without consequence. But today, with Chauvin’s sentence, we take a significant step forward—something that was unimaginable a very short time ago.”
Darnella Frazier, the young woman who courageously recorded the video of Derek Chauvin with his knee on the neck of George Floyd received an honorary Pulitzer. Frazier’s video that went viral and galvanized people all across America and all across the world has been credited as a vital part in the conviction of Chauvin.
Frazier has gotten widespread praise for her actions from people including President Biden, film director Spike Lee and Anita Hill.