Death of Georges Floyd: ex-policeman Derek Chauvin sentenced to 21 years in federal prison

For violating the civil rights of George Floyd, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will serve 245 months in federal prison. Former police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison by the United States federal justice system on Thursday July 7 for the murder of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis (United States). The 46-year-old former officer had already been sentenced for murder to 22 and a half years by the justice of the State of Minnesota. But he had appealed the sentence. The federal sentence of 21 years in prison, pronounced on July 7, is final since it stems directly from a plea agreement. US broadcaster CNN reports that senior court judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Chauvin to 252 months but subtracted seven months for time served. Additionally, US attorneys asked the court that the ex-policeman’s sentence be served alongside his 22.5-year state sentence. “This conviction should send a strong message that the Justice Department is prepared to prosecute law enforcement officers who use lethal force without basis. […] While no amount of jail time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope this sentence brings a small measure of justice to affected families and communities,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said. relayed by Franceinfo, federal justice had opened its own proceedings by indicting Derek Chauvin, as well as his three former colleagues, for “violation of constitutional rights”. CNN adds that the convicted former police officer also pleaded guilty and admitted that, in a separate case in 2017, he violated the civil rights of a 14-year-old using excessive force.