Washington, Jun 26: A US court on Friday sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 22 years and six months in prison for the murder of George Floyd during his arrest last year.
In April, Chauvin, 45, was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. The 46-year-old Floyd died last May after Chauvin knelt on his neck for about nine minutes after he was arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. The incident, which was shot by a bystander that went viral, sparked widespread protests – and riots – over police-involved killings of blacks in the US.
Prosecutors had sought a 30-year sentence while the defense argued for probation. The maximum punishment for second-degree murder in Minnesota is 40 years. In this case, there was no criminal record against him. For the person with no criminal record, the state guidelines recommend 12 1/2 to 15 years.
“This (sentence) is based on your abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particular cruelty shown to George Floyd,” Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said moments before announcing the punishment.
