Jury Declares Derek Chauvin Guilty

Former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty by a Minnesota jury on April 20 for the murder of George Floyd. 

After 10 hours of deliberation, the 12 jurors delivered their verdict in front of not only Judge Peter Cahill, but an entire nation who have been watching the events of this incident closely since it began almost one year ago. All of whom have been waiting with bated breath to hear the results of the trial. 

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter. 

Among the nation is the nation’s President, Joe Biden, who held a press conference directly after the verdict where he commended the courage of the witnesses who stepped forth to speak out against what they saw that day. As well as the officers who testified against members of their own department for the Prosecution. 

“Most men and women who wear the badge serve their communities honorably,” he said. “Those few who fail to meet that standard must be held accountable. One was today.” 

Though they deliberated for less than half a day, the jury members have had time to take positions on this trial since jury selection concluded on March 24. 

After selection, the jury heard testimonies from over 30 people. Among these were 911 operators, paramedics who responded to the scene, off-duty members of the fire department, a teenager who had recorded the encounter on her iPhone, other witnesses at the scene, a string of Minneapolis police, and several medical experts. 

Each chosen for the purpose of helping the prosecution and defense determine whether or not there was reasonable doubt that Chauvin had murdered George Floyd back in May. 

The jury spent days watching as witnesses who had seen the incident firsthand came forth to recall what had happened that day. One man was so overcome with emotion he could barely speak on the stand. 

During closing arguments on April 19, Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, asked the jury to carefully consider the true meaning of “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt” and introduced possible scenarios that could have caused Floyd’s death that had been brought up earlier in the trial. 

He specifically recalled the testimony of Dr. Fowler, who, according to Nelson, admitted that he considered the presence of carbon monoxide from the officers’ car could have contributed to oxygen deprivation. However, this statement was later rebutted by other witnesses, who stated that there was too much oxygen present in Floyd’s system for carbon monoxide to be a factor.  

According to Nelson, it would be impossible to prove this statement beyond a reasonable doubt, since Floyd had been receiving oxygen and having it reintroduced to his body once paramedics arrived as well as at the hospital. 

Nelson also referenced statistics collected from over 1,000 people who were placed in a prone position, like Floyd, during arrest. None of these people displayed lasting physiological damage. 

He went on to remind the jury of other possible variables in Floyd’s death. Among these were his history of drug addiction, a damaged heart, and hypertension. None of these were the cause of Chauvin, said Nelson. 

He concluded by telling the jurors that they had a responsibility to continuously compare evidence against other evidence, and to consider all factors outside of Chauvin’s control. 

“I would submit to you,” said Nelson. “That it is nonsense to suggest that none of these other factors had any role. That is not reasonable.” 

Prosecutor Steve Schleicher opened his closing statement by introducing George Floyd as a loving father and brother. He described the struggle Floyd underwent as he was trapped on hot pavement underneath Chauvin, struggling to fill his chest with air. 

He went into detail about how the pavement burnt his knuckles and shoulders and even his face as he tried to lift some of the pressure off his chest. How he begged the officer to let him up. How he begged for help. 

He recalled the motto of the Minneapolis Police Department: To Protect with Courage, To Serve with Compassion. 

“Facing George Floyd that day did not require one ounce of courage,” said Schleicher. “All that was required was a little compassion. None was shown that day.” 

He went on to clarify that the case was not against the entire Minneapolis Police Department, but against one defendant. And that if a person dies as a result of another person’s actions, than that other person should be held accountable. With no exceptions or special preference regarding profession.  

“This was felony assault,” said Schleicher. “It was not policing.” 

Schleicher reflected upon the video of the incident during his argument, where Chauvin could be seen on top of Floyd for over nine minutes. He made comments on his body language and specifically what he regarded as Chauvin’s ego. Chauvin had been challenged by the crowd, and would not back down from that challenge, said Schleicher. 

“He chose pride over policing,” said Schleicher. 

After a returned verdict of guilty on all charges, Chauvin now awaits sentencing.