The police officer who killed George Floyd sentenced to 21 years in prison by federal justice
Former police officer Derek Chauvin during his first trial in Minnesota state court in June 2021. AP
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The police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced Thursday to 21 years in prison by the federal justice of the United States for having asphyxiated George Floyd with his knee.
This is the second time he has been sentenced by the American courts.
In the spring of 2021 a Minnesota court had already found him guilty of the murder of the African-American.
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With our correspondent in Miami,
David Thomson
Just before the statement of the verdict the judge made a point of addressing Derek Chauvin: “
I don't know why you did that,
launches the magistrate to him.
But placing your knee on someone's neck until they die is wrong.
For this you must be severely punished
”.
The ex-policeman, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 21 years in prison before federal justice.
She self-seized the case last year after the first trial in Minnesota state court.
Chauvin was then sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison for the murder of the African-American.
A rather rare double procedure, a sign of the seriousness of the case which had provoked during the summer of 2020 the worst anti-racist protests since the 1960s in the United States.
This time, the white ex-policeman who had suffocated the African-American under his knee for almost 9 minutes 30 was being prosecuted for violation of the civil rights of George Floyd.
Violation in this case of the right of any American citizen not to be victim of a disproportionate use of force.
This second sentence is not cumulative, it will be confused with the first and will not double Derek Chauvin's detention period.
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