Derek Chauvin sentenced to 21 years on federal charge of violating George Floyd’s civil rights

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 21 years in prison on a separate federal charge of violating black man George Floyd’s civil rights.

While handing down Chauvin’s sentence on Thursday afternoon, US District Judge Paul Magnuson said: ‘For your actions, you must be held accountable.’

‘I really don’t know why you did what you did,’ said Magnuson. ‘To put your knee on a person’s neck until they expired is simply wrong… Your conduct is wrong and it is offensive.’

Chauvin, 46, as part of a plea deal in December admitted that he violated Floyd’s civil rights by kneeling on his neck and back.

His plea carried a 20 to 25-year sentence, and prosecutors argued that his actions were uncalled for and cold-blooded and that he should receive the full amount.

Magnuson took seven months off of the 21-year sentence for time that Chauvin has already served for his murder and manslaughter conviction in state court last year. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in June 2021, and will serve the state and his new federal sentence concurrently in federal prison.

Chauvin did not offer an apology as Floyd’s family members sat in the courtroom. Instead, he wished Floyd’s children ‘all the best in their life’ and that they would have ‘excellent guidance in becoming good adults’.

Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, asked the court to give Chauvin the maximum sentence.

‘My brother was murdered in broad daylight with a knee to his neck for nine minutes,’ said Philonise. ‘The family and I have been given a life sentence, we will never get George back.’

George repeatedly said ‘I can’t breathe’ as Chauvin, who is white, knelt on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes. George’s death in May 2020 sparked worldwide protests against racism and police brutality, and reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement.

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