Chauvin is accused of placing his knee on Floyd’s neck although Floyd said he could not breathe.
Jurors assigned to the Chauvin trial declared on Tuesday that the former cop was guilty on all charges, bringing to a close three weeks’ worth of witness and expert testimony.
Charged with second-degree murder, Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison on that offense alone. The third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter carry maximum prison sentences of 25 years and 10 years, respectively. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Trial proceedings kicked off in late March after the case saw two jurors replaced after the $27 million settlement was offered to Floyd's family by the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, jurors informed Judge Cahill that they could not disregard the hefty settlement and were unsure whether they could be impartial once the trial began.
Cahill had previously rejected efforts by the defense to change the location of the trial, ruling that there is no part of the North Star State in which residents have not been privy to the details of the fatal arrest.
The weeks’ worth of testimony saw occasionally emotional remarks from a number of witnesses and repeated views of video footage documenting Floyd's 25 May 2020, arrest. Some of the stand-out moments from the proceedings include Chauvin invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege, and a defense witness suggesting carbon monoxide poisoning contributed to Floyd’s death, since his face was near the tailpipe of a police car while pinned to the ground.
MA/Sputnik