2nd Degree Murder, 3rd Degree Murder, and 2nd Degree Manslauter. These were the charges for former Minnesota Police Officer Derek Chauvin. On April 20, 2021, Chauvin was found guilty by the jury on all three counts. There was a large crowd outside of the courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and when the verdict was read, cheers and chants of “All Three Counts” could be heard so loud that they were heard nationwide via livestream news from inside the courthouse. Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts for the murder and manslauter of George Floyd, an American Hip-Hop artist, and nation-wide phenomenon. George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, outside of a Cup Foods grocery store, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The defense argued that he died from a heart condition and drugs in his bloodstream, but that was later ruled out. His cause of death was ruled to have been pressure to the neck and loss of air.
The reading of Chauvin’s verdict was something long awaited by the US, and after the verdict was read, a large crowd gathered in George Floyd Square for speakers and celebrations. They chanted things like “Say his name, George Floyd”, and “No Justice, No Peace” At one point, they were chanting:
“Black Lives Matter Here
Asian Lives Matter Here
Black Youth Matter Here
Black Women Matter Here
Black Men Matter Here
Smaller Lives Matter Here”
After a while, a white car pulled up, and the entire crowd shifted over to create a large path for the Rev. Jesse L Jackson, Sr. He was surrounded by security guards who helped him walk and kept people away from him. At least six of them were there to shield him. Rev. Jackson is 79 years old, and has 6 children. At the gathering in George Floyd Square, he spoke out about the Black Lives Matter Movement and George Floyd.
Sources
- https://www.kxxv.com/news/national/out-of-sight-but-center-stage-jurors-weigh-chauvins-fate
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/key-takeaways-derek-chauvin-trial-george-floyds-death/story?id=77120626
- https://apnews.com/article/derek-chauvin-trial-live-updates-e1d714c68ab5b067b101af7c6d486c6c
- https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6985946/George-Floyd-Transcript.pdf

MICAIAH LANE
Hi! I am Micaiah and I am a Freshman here at City. This is My 3rd your at City and I am passionate about writing, singing, painting, and animals. Anything fluffy or furry is my best friend!