The white ex-police officer Derek Chauvin (45) is guilty of causing the death of the African American George Floyd († 46). He knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, then the dark-skinned man was dead. Now the killer cop’s defense is demanding parole.
In addition, Chauvin should receive a prison sentence, which would be served with the pre-trial detention. That was said in a motion from attorney Eric Nelson published by the Minneapolis court on Wednesday. The public prosecutor, on the other hand, demands 30 years imprisonment for Chauvin. She justified this with the special gravity of the act, which Judge Peter Cahill has already recognized.
Sentence pronounced on June 25th
The sentence is scheduled to be announced on June 25th. The defense argued that Chauvin had no criminal record. The ex-police officer had no legal problems until his arrest. He worked hard and led a law-abiding life.
The lawyer also justified the demand for a suspended sentence by saying that police officers have a shorter life expectancy and that chauvin in prison could be the target of attacks. Prosecutors argued that a long sentence would “take into account the profound effects of the defendant’s behavior on the victim, the victim’s family and the community”.
One year since Floyd’s death: Joe Biden discusses the “George Floyd Act”(01:42)
Jury found killer cop guilty
The jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, among other things, at the end of April. Floyd’s violent death on May 25, 2020 during a police operation in Minneapolis had sparked demonstrations against racism and police violence in the United States.
Videos document how police officers pushed the unarmed man to the ground. Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for a good nine minutes while Floyd pleaded to let him breathe. Floyd passed out and died. The officers arrested him on suspicion of paying with a fake $ 20 bill. (SDA / euc)