Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd, has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for violating Floyd’s civil rights.
The sentence was handed down on Thursday after Chauvin pleaded guilty in December to violating Floyd by keeping his knee against his neck even after he became unresponsive. The former officer, who had a history of excessive force, admitted that he willfully deprived Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure.
Chauvin was previously convicted in April of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd. Last month, he received 22 ½ years at the state level. Both his sentences will run concurrently.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson did not hold back on Chauvin, who he insisted “must be held responsible.”
“To put your knee on a person’s neck until they expired is simply wrong,” Magnuson stated before adding, “Your conduct is wrong, and it is offensive.”
Ahead of Thursday’s sentencing, Chauvin did not offer an apology to the Floyd family. Instead, he addressed Floyd’s children with half-assed words of encouragement. Chauvin wished them “all the best in their lives” and that they had “excellent guidance in becoming good adults.”
Chauvin is currently appealing his murder conviction, claiming that jurors only found him guilty out of intimidation from protesters and the extensive publicity of the case.
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