Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years for murder of George Floyd

by Aysha Qamar

The day has finally come: The sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd when he kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison, despite pleas from the Floyd family and prosecutors’ requests for a 30-year or more sentence. But the truth is, despite how long he remains locked up, the family will not receive the justice they deserve because Floyd is no longer with them.

When sentencing Chauvin, Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill gave his condolences to the family and said the sentence was “not based on emotion or sympathy.”

“But at the same time I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family. You have our sympathies,” Cahill said. “It has been painful throughout Hennepin County, throughout the state of Minnesota, and even the country. But most importantly we need to recognize the pain of the Floyd family.”