Derek Chauvin Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Violation of George Floyd’s Civil Rights

Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for violation of George Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin killed George Floyd last year, when he pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee for over 9 minutes, despite Floyd’s plea of not being able to breathe.

According to CBS News, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson expressed that Chauvin “must be held responsible for his actions.” Chauvin’s plea deal in May was reportadly a sentence of 20 to 25 years, and Judge Magnuson accepted. Chauvin is being convicted for manslaughter and murder charges, facing a total of 22 and a half years in prison. He has already served 7 months of it. According to CBS News, Chauvin is also “appealing his murder conviction, arguing that jurors were intimidated by the protests that followed and prejudiced by heavy pretrial publicity.” The other three officers have not yet had sentencing dates arranged for them.