Former police officer Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years for the murder of George Floyd

MINNEAPOLIS — Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd, was sentenced Friday to 22 and a half years in prison, closing a chapter on a case that sparked global outrage and protests.

He was granted credit for time served.

Prosecutors had asked that Chauvin receive 30 years in prison. His lawyer sought probation.

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said his sentence was not based on public opinion, “emotion or sympathy.” He said he was not trying “send any messages.”

“But at the same time I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family,” Cahill said.

Hours before the hearing began, Cahill denied a request from Chauvin’s attorney for a new trial. Cahill also denied a request to hold a hearing on juror misconduct.

Chauvin was convicted in April of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter.

He spoke briefly before the sentence was announced.

“At this time due to some additional legal matters at hand I’m not able to give a full, formal statement,” Chauvin said. “I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family. There’s going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest and I hope things will give you some, some peace of mind.”

The sentencing hearing began with statements from four of Floyd’s family members.

Floyd’s daughter Gianna, his brothers Terrence Floyd and Philonise Floyd and his nephew Brandon Williams all spoke during the hearing.

Gianna, who appeared by video, said she asks about her father “all the time” and misses that he is not around to help her brush her teeth at night.

“I want to play with him, have fun, go on a plane ride,” the 7-year-old said.

Philonise Floyd said that he has begged every day for justice to be served.

“George’s life mattered,” he said. “I am asking that you please find it suitable to give Officer Chauvin the maximum sentence possible. My family and I have been given a life sentence.”

Chauvin’s mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, also spoke during the hearing. Pawlenty called Chauvin “a good man.”

“Derek is a quiet, thoughtful, honorable and selfless man,” she said. Pawlenty said her son’s identity has “been reduced to that of a racist.”

“Even though I have not spoken publicly, I have always supported him 100 percent and always will,” Pawlenty said.

Under Minnesota statutes, Chauvin could be sentenced only on the most serious charge: unintentional second-degree murder, which has a maximum sentence of 40 years.

Cahill could have sentenced Chauvin to as little as 10 years and eight months or as much as 15 years in prison and remained within sentencing guidelines. The presumptive sentence for a person like Chauvin, who had no criminal history, is 12½ years for second-degree murder.

Last month, Cahill ruled that prosecutors had proven there were aggravating factors in Floyd’s death, paving the way for a longer sentence.

Floyd, a Black man, was handcuffed, in a prone position on the street May 25, 2020, as Chauvin, who is white, knelt on his neck for 9½ minutes while Floyd said he couldn’t breathe and went limp. Floyd’s gruesome death — captured in a harrowing bystander video that was posted to Facebook and widely viewed — ignited a reckoning on racial disparities in America and fueled calls for police reform.

In arguing for a 30-year sentence, prosecutors said there were five aggravating factors in Floyd’s death. In his ruling last month, Cahill wrote that the prosecution had proven four of those factors: Chauvin abused his position of trust and authority; treated Floyd with particular cruelty; and that he committed his crime in the presence of children “who witnessed the last moments” of Floyd’s life; and with the active participation of at least three other people. (Cahill said prosecutors did not prove that Floyd was particularly vulnerable.)

“It was particularly cruel to kill George Floyd slowly by preventing his ability to breathe when Mr. Floyd had already made it clear he was having trouble breathing,” Cahill wrote.

Floyd “was begging for his life and obviously terrified by the knowledge that he was likely to die” but Chauvin “remained indifferent” to his pleas, Cahill also wrote.

Chauvin’s conviction was a rare occurrence: It is unusual for police officers to be prosecuted for killing someone on the job. Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, has found through his research that Chauvin is one of only 11 nonfederal law enforcement officers — such as police officers, deputy sheriffs and state troopers — who have been convicted of murder for on-duty killings since 2005.

Chauvin and the three other former police officers involved in Floyd’s arrest — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — were fired the day after Floyd’s death. They are also awaiting trial in federal court on charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights. No trial date has been set.

Cahill delayed the trial of Kueng, Lane and Thao, who are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and whose trial was originally scheduled to begin in August, to March 2022, saying last month that he wanted to put some distance between their trial and Chauvin’s trial. Cahill also said he wanted them to be tried on the federal charges first.