Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years for George Floyd murder

Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of murdering Floyd, a Black man.Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, a Black man, was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison Friday.Chauvin, 45, was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for up to 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Floyd gasped that he could not breathe and went limp.Bystander video of Floyd’s arrest on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store prompted protests around the world and led to scattered violence in Minneapolis and beyond.Following emotional testimony Friday from Floyd’s family and Chauvin’s mother, along with brief condolences from Chauvin himself, Judge Peter Cahill said the sentence was not based on emotion, sympathy or public opinion.“I’m not going to attempt to be profound or clever because it’s not the appropriate time,” Cahill said, explaining his reasoning would be laid out in a 22-page memorandum.“I’m not basing my sentence on public opinion. Here are just some of their stories.At least 1,068 people have been killed by police since the death of the unarmed Black man a year ago.Judge Peter Cahill sentences Chauvin to 22.5 years for murder of George Floyd, citing aggravating factors.Follow Al Jazeera English: