George Floyd Killer Derek Chauvin Sentenced, Gets 21 Years in Prison

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is going to prison after a federal judge sentenced him to 21 years.

Chauvin's actions sparked worldwide protest for civil rights and against police brutality when he killed George Floyd by kneeling on top of him after he complained that he cannot breathe. Three other officers were also implicated.

Chauvin pled guilty to his charges and entered into a plea agreement. The federal court later found him guilty and sentenced him to 21 years in prison.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the federal charges but changed it last December. He also admitted his guilt in a separate federal indictment where he was accused of depriving a 14-year-old boy of his civil rights in an encounter in September 2017.

Judge Berates Derek Chauvin and Criticized His Actions

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson criticized Chauvin before handing out the 21-year prison sentence, according to the Associated Press. He called the former officer's actions "simply wrong" and "offensive," as videos showed Chauvin and the other officers kneeling on top of Floyd for over nine minutes while the victim pleaded his now-famous last words, "I can't breathe."

Judge Magnuson also presided over the trial and convictions of the three other officers. However, he placed most of the blame for George Floyd's death on Chauvin, the most senior officer at the scene.

A 911 call accused Floyd of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes, and Chauvin and the other three officers were the ones to respond. They got on top of Floyd while Chauvin placed his knee at the back of Floyd's neck. The other officers suggested that they should turn Floyd to his side, but Chauvin merely rebuffed them. Because of this, Magnuson told Chauvin that he had also destroyed the lives of the three other officers who were merely following his lead.

NBC News reported that the three other officers who were with Chauvin at the time of George Floyd's death were Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao. They were also convicted of violating Floyd's civil rights. Kueng and Thao were also convicted for not intervening to stop Chauvin from using excessive force.

Prosecutors Wanted 25 Years for Derek Chauvin

Federal prosecutors wanted 25 years for Chauvin. This is on the high end of the 20- to 25-year range of the plea agreement, according to NBC News. They argued that the former police officer abused his authority and also acted callously.

In counter to this, the defense would ask for 20 years, which is at the lowest end of the plea agreement's range. They argued that Chauvin was remorseful of his actions and that he fully accepted responsibility.

The 21-year sentence Magnuson decided on would credit the time Chauvin has already served, which means that the former officer will now only have to live out his sentence in around 20 years and five months.

It is noted that Chauvin is already serving a 22½-year sentence for second-degree and third-degree murder at the state level. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with his state sentence.

Chauvin wished the family of George Floyd all the best in their life.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Derek Chauvin sentenced to more than 20 years for violating George Floyd's civil rights - WCCO - CBS Minnesota