Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has received a 21-year federal prison sentence subsequent to his admission of guilt last December for infringing upon George Floyd's civil rights in 2020 and those of a 14-year-old in 2017, as reported by multiple sources.
He will be granted seven months' credit for time served, resulting in a 245-month sentence, equivalent to slightly over two decades, according to KARE reports.
While prosecutors sought a 25-year term, Chauvin's defense counsel requested 20 years.
"I am genuinely perplexed by the motivations behind your actions; nonetheless, placing your knee on another individual's neck until their demise is unequivocally improper. Consequently, for such conduct, a significant punishment is imperative," declared U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson during the sentencing, as per CBS Minnesota reports.
The outlet notes that Chauvin briefly extended his wishes to Floyd's family, expressing hopes for his children's well-being, yet he refrained from offering an apology.
In 2021, Chauvin was handed a 22.5-year prison sentence in the state of Minnesota after being convicted of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with George Floyd's death. He received the verdict for his federal conviction in U.S. District Court on Thursday.
On May 25, 2020, Chauvin unlawfully took Floyd's life, a Black man, by kneeling on his neck for over five minutes. The widely circulated video of Floyd's demise triggered the largest civil rights protests in decades, sparking ongoing discussions about police brutality and racial injustice.
In December 2021, Chauvin admitted guilt in federal court to violating Floyd's civil rights. Prosecutors charged him with multiple federal civil rights violations in two cases—one involving Floyd and another concerning a then 14-year-old in a 2017 incident. In both instances, Chauvin maintained pressure on the neck of the victim in police custody, demonstrating what prosecutors deemed "unreasonable force by a police officer." Chauvin pleaded guilty to one count of violating the individual's civil rights in each case, in exchange for the dismissal of other related charges, as previously reported by The Washington Post.
In return for his admission of guilt, Chauvin requested to serve his sentence in federal prison rather than state prison.
As per ABC News, under the agreement signed in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn., Chauvin must serve a minimum of 20 years of his federal sentence. The outlet notes that, according to the agreement, Chauvin could potentially have been eligible for parole after serving 15 years of his 22.5-year state prison sentence. However, with the federal sentence, he is obliged to serve at least 20 years.
Floyd was apprehended by Minneapolis police for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. The video captured by a bystander depicted Chauvin, hands in pockets and sunglasses perched atop his head, with Floyd beneath him, pleading for his deceased mother and repeatedly gasping, "I can't breathe." Chauvin was terminated from his position a day after the incident.
Three other former police officers involved in the call with Chauvin were also found guilty of violating Floyd's civil rights.
Thomas Lane pleaded guilty to state charges in May, while the state trials of Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng are set to commence in October.
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