Reaction: What Atlanta and Georgia officials said about the Derek Chauvin verdict

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms

In a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shared bittersweet remarks on Chauvin’s guilty verdict: “While I am grateful that the verdict is guilty on all three counts, there is no verdict or punishment that will bring George Floyd back to his family,” Bottoms said in a statement.”As tragedies have propelled our nation into a level of needed consciousness and action in the past, it is my sincere hope that the tragic death of George Floyd will forever be our reminder that the work towards reform, healing and reconciliation is not a one-time event. We must continue this work if we ever hope to truly be one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

— Wilborn Nobles

Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, released the following statement: “Today’s guilty verdict is a pivotal moment for policing in America. The conviction of Derek Chauvin sends the message that we can and will hold officers accountable. But, it’s important to note this is only the beginning. This one case, this instance of justice, is what is deserved and overdue for so many other families. “Although nothing can bring George Floyd back, my hope is that his family can find some solace in knowing that justice was served. “We are done dying.”

U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff released the following statement: “George Floyd’s murderer has been convicted, but brutality and racial bias will persist in our justice system until we enact reform. I am urging my colleagues in the Senate to pass criminal justice reform that will ensure public safety, rebuild trust between communities and law enforcement, and secure equal justice for all.”

U.S. Sen Raphael Warnock reacted to the verdict: “First of all, my heart goes out to the George Floyd family . Nothing will make this completely right for them, but I hope that they will find some sense of peace in the recognition that George Floyd was a human being and that Derek Chauvin is responsible for his death. We’ve got to do the work that we need to do here to put forward police reform and criminal justice reform. And I will be focused on that.”

The ACLU of Georgia released the following statement in reaction to the verdict: “Across the state of Georgia people stood up and demanded justice for George Floyd. This verdict is an affirmation that democracy can be made to work. The impact of Mr. Floyd will be felt across our state in the new elected officials who were inspired to run on platforms of police and criminal justice system reform and the voters who marched from the streets to the voting booth and supported policy reform,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia.

The Carter Center in Atlanta released this statement: “The Carter Center welcomes the just conviction of the police officer responsible for the murder of George Floyd. Our thoughts are with Floyd’s family members who have endured unimaginable pain as the trial exposed the horrific details of the killing of their loved one. In our work resolving conflicts and strengthening democracy around the world, The Carter Center has seen the critical importance of accountability and oversight for security forces. This verdict represents a first step toward accountability for the unjustified use of lethal violence against African Americans and people of color that our society has too long tolerated. Our hope is that the families of Rayshard Brooks, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, and too many others to name will receive a measure of justice as well. We must work to create a world that surpasses this basic right of accountability. We must build a world in which justice is the norm—expected and granted to all. This will require that we face our history of systemic racism and then take the necessary steps to heal and repair.”

— Staff writers Tia Mitchell, Ernie Suggs, Bill Rankin, Tyler Estep and Sheila Poole contributed to this report