A United States federal court has sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating the civil rights of George Floyd, a Black man killed when Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes in an incident that sparked mass protests.
US District Judge Paul Magnuson rebuked Chauvin at the sentencing hearing calling the ex-policeman’s actions when he killed Floyd in May 2020 offensive.
Attorney General Merrick Garland says the Justice Department is committed to holding accountable those who violate the Constitution, and to safeguarding the civil rights of all Americans.