President Joe Biden said the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict “can be a giant step forward on the march toward justice in America,” as the world continues to react after the former officer was convicted in the death of George Floyd.
Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke at the White House after the verdict.
“A measure of justice isn’t the same as equal justice,” Harris said.
Chauvin, 45, was found guilty on second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges in Floyd’s death, all of which required the jury to conclude that his actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death and that his use of force was unreasonable.
Statement from Barack and Michelle Obama:
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) April 20, 2021
"Today, a jury in Minneapolis did the right thing.”https://t.co/oyooKtAQuo pic.twitter.com/yN7L2QLIPQ
I was appalled by the death of George Floyd and welcome this verdict.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 20, 2021
My thoughts tonight are with George Floyd’s family and friends.
Per White House: "The President and the Vice President will deliver remarks later this evening on the Derek Chauvin verdict."
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) April 20, 2021
Floyd’s brother, Philonise, said “Emmett Till was the first George Floyd,” and “It seems like this is a neverending cycle,” according to reporter Steve Herman.
"Emmett Till was the first George Floyd," says his brother, Philonise Floyd. "It seems like this is a never-ending cycle." pic.twitter.com/3APaOW1GB0
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 20, 2021
Floyd died last May after Chauvin, a white officer, pinned his knee on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for about 9 ½ minutes in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S.
Today is a solemn day in America. Join me and my colleagues at the United States Capitol as we stand in solidarity after the Derek Chauvin murder trial verdict is announced. https://t.co/cDqszBZCle
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 20, 2021
My statement on the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/rJHDDP8vMO
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) April 20, 2021
The jury — six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial — deliberated over parts of two days in Minneapolis, a city on edge against another outbreak of unrest. The verdict arrived after about 10 hours of deliberation, 45 witnesses and three weeks of testimony.
DCCC Chairman @spmaloney Statement on the Verdict in the Trial of Derek Chauvin: pic.twitter.com/wX8NQ2bMwE
— DCCC (@dccc) April 20, 2021
Judge Peter Cahill said sentencing would happen in about eight weeks. Chauvin’s bail was revoked, and he was taken back into custody following the verdict.
BUCKS REACT TO CHAUVIN VERDICT: The Milwaukee Bucks have issued as statement following the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd last year. pic.twitter.com/XHFTTTRqSc
— NBC15 News (@nbc15_madison) April 20, 2021
The jury, anonymous by order of the judge and sequestered until it reached a verdict, spent just a few hours on the task Monday after the day was mostly consumed by closing arguments in which prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May.
Timberwolves statement after Derek Chauvin is found guilty of the murder of George Floyd:
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) April 20, 2021
“We are hopeful today’s decision can serve as a step forward, but it does not ease the physical and emotional pain that continues in an environment where systemic racism exists.” pic.twitter.com/cUqj2qefmK
The verdict was read in a courthouse ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops, in a city on edge against another round of unrest — not just because of the Chauvin case but because of the deadly police shooting of a young Black man, Daunte Wright, in a Minneapolis suburb April 11.
No courtroom can ever replace a life, but it can and should deliver justice. Today, the jury in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial honored that truth.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) April 20, 2021
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/9Xc73hOG1N
Floyd, 46, died May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead.
The jury's verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not justice for George Floyd. Real justice for him and too many others can only happen when we build a nation that fundamentally respects the human dignity of every person. https://t.co/JyJFztQbDu
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) April 20, 2021
The centerpiece of the case was the excruciating bystander video of Floyd gasping repeatedly, “I can’t breathe” and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyd’s neck for what authorities say was 9 ½ minutes. Floyd slowly went silent and limp.
I'm thankful for George Floyd’s family that justice was served
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 20, 2021
America was forever changed by the video of Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd
However, a guilty verdict doesn’t mean the persistent problem of police misconduct is solved
We'll keep working for meaningful change pic.twitter.com/2jV6xojgjp
Prosecutors played the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, with Jerry Blackwell telling the jury: “Believe your eyes.” And it was shown over and over, analyzed one frame at a time by witnesses on both sides.
My statement on the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5FPHi0j4k0
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 20, 2021
In the wake of Floyd’s death, demonstrations and scattered violence broke out in Minneapolis, around the country and beyond. The furor also led to the removal of Confederate statues and other symbols such as Aunt Jemima.
Today, our hearts and minds are with George Floyd’s family.
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) April 20, 2021
We hope that today’s guilty verdict will give them a sense of peace and comfort in knowing that Derek Chauvin will be held accountable.
This is just one step forward in the fight for black lives—but it’s not the last.
Medical experts for the prosecution said Floyd died of asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, because his breathing was constricted by the way he was held down on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind him, a knee on his neck and his face jammed against the ground.
I stand with the country in mourning the murder of George Floyd by Officer Derek Chauvin. Today’s guilty verdict represents the promise that power cannot protect an offender and that every victim deserves justice. All too often, communities of color have been denied this promise.
— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) April 20, 2021
Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson called a police use-of-force expert and a forensic pathologist to help make the case that Chauvin acted reasonably against a struggling suspect and that Floyd died because of an underlying heart condition and his illegal drug use.