Derek Chauvin, the US white ex-police officer convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in jail.
According to CNN, Hennepin Court Judge, Peter Cahill, in his ruling on Friday, said, “the sentence is not based on emotion or sympathy, but I want to acknowledge the pain both families are feeling, especially George Floyd’s.”
“I am not basing my sentencing on any public opinion, the job of the trial court is to apply the law,” the judge said.
This is coming after Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank asked for a sentence of 360 months (30 years) for Chauvin.
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Recall that Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old man died on May 25, 2020, in the hands of the White police officer in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin who was seen in the viral video with his knee on Floyd’s neck was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter which some blacks and protesters believe were not harsh enough for the crime.
However, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison later announced that the charges against Chauvin had been upgraded to second-degree murder and that new charges have been filed against the other three officers involved.
George Floyd, 48, died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes outside a convenience store where he bought cigarettes.
His murder caused global protests against racism and police brutality.
