Derek Chauvin Has Been Found Guilty of Murdering George Floyd

Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who has been on trial for the death of George Floyd was found guilty of murder on Tuesday. Chauvin was charged with three counts: unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He was found guilty on all three counts. 

The whole world watched the horrific May 25 footage of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for nine minutes. The deeply emotional three-week trial included testimony from Darnella Frazier, the teenage girl whose cellphone footage served as central evidence for the prosecution. 

The trial concluded on Monday and the jury deliberated for 10 hours over two days. On Tuesday just after 4 pm eastern time, the guilty verdict was announced. Chauvin has not yet been sentenced. The New York Times reports that Chauvin could serve anywhere between 12.5 years and decades of prison time. 

Coverage of Floyd’s murder has been constant for nearly a year. In the summer, streets throughout the country filled with protestors marching against police violence, in Floyd’s name as well as the names of other Black Americans killed by police officers, including Breonna Taylor. For many anti-racist and anti-police brutality activists, a guilty verdict is a relief, but it does not mean that justice has been served. Floyd left behind a family, including his girlfriend, Courteney Ross, and his seven-year-old daughter, Gianna Floyd. The climactic trial drew attention to Floyd’s killing, but it did not change police practices, and it did not bring back George Floyd. 

On social media, many wrote with great emotion about the pain that accompanies even a guilty verdict. 

While millions mourned George Floyd anew, they also valorized Frazier, who was only 17-years-old and on a walk to the store with her younger cousin when she took out her phone and filmed Chauvin killing Floyd. Frazier has spoken about the horror of witnessing the event, and her wish that she, a child, had intervened and somehow stopped Chauvin. 

The bracingly clear video footage of Chauvin killing Floyd sparked protests throughout Minneapolis, every major city in America, and in countries across the world. In anticipation of the verdict, some states’ leadership have called in troops from the National Guard, as well as state troopers, in case of unrest. Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota declared a “peacetime emergency.”

Immediately following the verdict, cheers were heard in some cities. 

Jenny Singer is a staff writer for Glamour. You can follow her on Twitter.