George Floyd's death: sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, the police officer who killed the African-American man seeks a mistrial on appeal
Sylvie Claire / January 18, 2023
The police officer who killed African-American George Floyd and set the U.S. ablaze in 2020 is trying to get his murder conviction overturned in a largely symbolic appeal starting Wednesday.
Derek Chauvin, 46, was convicted of murder by the Minnesota State Judiciary, in the north of the country, at the end of a highly publicized trial in 2021, and sentenced to 22 and a half years of detention.
He believes that his rights to a fair trial were violated, particularly in view of the "publicity" surrounding the case and the "threats of violence" that should have led to the hearings being moved, and is calling for the verdict to be set aside.
Whatever the outcome of this appeal, Derek Chauvin will remain in prison because he pleaded guilty to "civil rights violations" of George Floyd before a federal judge and received a final sentence of 21 years in prison in 2022.
On May 25, 2020, this Minneapolis police officer, on duty for 19 years, had remained kneeling on the neck of the black quadragenarian for nearly ten minutes, indifferent to his moans and the interventions of panicked passers-by.
The scene, filmed and posted online, sparked huge protests against racism and police violence across the United States and beyond.