Former cop Derek Chauvin convicted of "murdering" George Floyd

Former cop Derek Chauvin was convicted by a US court for the murder of black American citizen George Floyd in a case that shook the United States for a year and exposed the deep ethnic divisions in American society.

It took a mixed jury of seven women and five men in Minneapolis less than two days after the end of the three-week trial sessions to reach a unanimous decision that the white policeman was guilty of all three charges.

Chauvin, 45, is expected to spend many years behind bars in the murder case of Floyd on May 25, 2020, which sparked violent protests against racial injustice around the world and was seen as a historic test of police accountability.

US President Joe Biden expressed to George Floyd's family in a phone call Tuesday that he was "satisfied" with the ruling, saying during the call, which the family shared in Minneapolis, on social media, that it is "very important."

Biden is scheduled to make official statements on Tuesday about the ruling, and during the call he pledged to bring the Floyd family on Air Force One to visit the White House.

Floyd Ben Crump's family attorney hailed the ruling as a historic victory for civil rights and could be a pillar of legislation that includes reforms to the police, especially in its dealings with minorities.

"The justice we agonized to achieve was finally obtained by the Floyd family. This ruling is a turning point in history and sends a clear message about the need for law enforcement agencies to be held accountable," Crump wrote on Twitter.

"Justice for blacks in America is justice for all Americans," he added.

In a video on May 25, 2020, Chauvin was seen crouching on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, while the 46-year-old black man lay on his stomach in the street saying, "I can't breathe."

The recording, which has been repeatedly shown to the jury during the three-week-long Chauven trial, sparked protests around the world against the lack of racial justice and police brutality.

Chauvin, who worked for 19 years in the Minneapolis police, faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the most serious of the three charges he was convicted of, which is second-degree murder.

Conviction on any of the premeditated, second or third-degree murder charges requires a jury unanimous decision.

Three other former police officers who were accompanying Chauvin are facing charges related to the killing of Floyd, and they will be tried separately later this year.