Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on George Floyd's neck for nine and a half minutes, leading to his death, has been declared guilty on three verdicts.
Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020 and his death caused widespread demonstrations in the United States and across.
In his verdict, Judge Peter Cahill said in court on Tuesday;
"We the jury in the above entitled matter as to count 1, unintentional second degree murder while committing a felony, find the defendant guilty.’’
The family of Floyd has applauded the verdict on Chauvin stating that it is an answer to prayer and a pivotal moment for racial justice in America.
"My family is a family that will not back down from prayer. I believe because of prayer we got the verdict we wanted. We got on our knees - some of us stood up but we asked the right person - we asked the right one. We said, 'God we need justice. We need it now,' and he answered," George’s brother, Terence Floyd said.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris commented on the verdict after speaking with Floyd's family. In his response, Biden said that the verdict on the former police officer shows that no one should be above the law.
However, that message is not enough and there is need to live a real change in reform. Also, efforts must be made to ensure that such sad occurrences are not repeated.
Likewise, Harris said that although the judgment cannot take away the pain, it is still a sign of relief. She added that a measure of justice is not the same as equal justice. There is still work to do and the system must be reformed.
The trial lasted for three weeks and it saw more than 30 witnesses testifying including the police chief and others from law enforcement agencies. The jury was made up of six whites, four blacks, and two mixed-race Americans. They made their decisions within ten and half hours.
Christian Leaders respond to the verdict
Evangelist Franklin Graham commented on the trending news on his social media page. He said;
"Our legal system has worked & justice is being served. I hope all of America & our law enforcement will learn from this, & that we'll become a better nation."
Furthermore, Bishop T.D. Jakes, also noted that victims of police brutality are more of black people. In his words;
"My prayer is that this will ignite a safer society where justice is equally allocated to absolutely everyone irrespective of socio-economics, race, religion or gender. Thank you to the many officers who do not stoop to such atrocities and honestly work toward protecting us every day."
In about eight weeks, Derek Chauvin is expected to be sentenced. The most serious charge attracts a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
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