Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison. Of those, he’s can serve as little as 15 years behind bars.
The former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April. George Floyd died last May after Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for up to 9.5 minutes.
Before the sentencing, legal experts anticipated that he would face 20 to 25 years in prison, while prosecutors were seeking a 30-year prison stint. While Minnesota sentencing protocol suggests 12.5 years, Judge Peter Cahill sided with prosecutors that there “were aggravating circumstances that could justify a heavier punishment,” the Associated Press writes, including the fact that “Chauvin treated Floyd with particular cruelty, abused his position of authority as a police officer, and did it in front of children.”
Chauvin could be paroled after serving around two-thirds of his sentence. On Friday morning, Cahill denied Derek Chauvin’s request for a new trial.
Prosecutors said Chauvin’s actions “shocked the nation’s conscience” and that a 30-year sentence “would properly account for the profound impact of defendant’s conduct on the victim, the victim’s family, and the community.”
At one point during the sentencing hearing, Chauvin spoke publicly for the first time and offered his condolences to the Floyd family.
Floyd’s daughter, Gianna Floyd, gave a victim impact statement, as did other members of the Floyd family.
Chauvin and three other former police officers will also have to stand trial for federal civil rights charges in connection to Floyd’s death.
