Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin, who pleaded guilty in December, will also have to pay restitution.
During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson said Chauvin “must be held accountable” for his actions, including the destruction of the lives of the three other officers involved in Floyd’s death.
“I really don’t know why he did what he did,” the judge said. “Putting your knee on a person’s neck until they die is just wrong. … Your behavior is wrong and offensive.”
Chauvin’s plea deal, which Magnuson accepted in May, called for a sentence of 20 to 25 years. Magnuson shaved seven months off his 21-year sentence for time already served — Chauvin was convicted in state court last year on murder and manslaughter charges related to Floyd’s death in May 2020 and sentenced to 22 1/2 years. He will serve the state and federal sentences concurrently in a federal prison.
Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd by pinning the unarmed black man to the pavement with his knee for 9 1/2 minutes, despite Floyd’s fading pleas, “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s death sparked protests around the world and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.
Before handing down his sentence Thursday, Chauvin wished Floyd’s children “all the best in their lives” and that they have “excellent guidance to become good adults,” reports CBS Minnesota. He didn’t apologize.
Floyd’s brother, Philonis Floyd, asked the judge for a life sentence, adding that he had nightmares after his brother’s death, according to CBS Minnesota.
Prosecutors had pushed for the former police officer to serve the full 25 years on the grounds that his actions in Floyd’s death were cold-blooded and unnecessary. They also alleged he had a history of abusing restraints — Chauvin’s plea included an admission he violated the rights of a then-14-year-old black boy he restrained in an unrelated case in 2017.
Instead, the defense asked for 20 years, saying Chauvin takes responsibility for what he did and has already been sentenced to 22 1/2 years in state prison for Floyd’s murder. Attorney Eric Nelson wrote that Chauvin’s “remorse will be evident before this court.”
In pleading guilty to violating Floyd’s civil rights, Chauvin admitted for the first time that he held his knee to Floyd’s neck — even after he became unresponsive — which led to his death. The former officer admitted that he intentionally deprived Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, including unreasonable force by a police officer.
Chauvin appealed his murder conviction, arguing that jurors were intimidated by the protests that followed and prejudiced by heavy pretrial publicity.
Three other former Minneapolis police officers — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane — were convicted in February of federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s killing. Magnuson has not set sentencing dates for them.
Lane is also scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 21 after pleading guilty in state court to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Tao and Kueng refused plea deals and are scheduled to be arraigned in state court on Oct. 24 on aiding and abetting charges.
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