Derek Chauvin news: Floyd killer in solitary as police defend Nicholas Reardon shooting Ma’Khia Bryant
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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is expected to appeal his conviction after being found guilty on all charges in the murder of George Floyd.
The jury found Chauvin was:
- Guilty of second-degree unintentional murder
- Guilty of third-degree murder
- Guilty of second-degree manslaughter
Joe Biden said the conviction of Chauvin in the killing of Mr Floyd could be “a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. But he declared that “it’s not enough.”
Chauvin remains in the maximum security prison there and is currently under “administrative segregation”, otherwise known as solitary confinement, for his safety, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections told CNN.
On Wednesday, US Attorney General Merrick Garland launched a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis, which “will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests”.
Sentencing was scheduled for 16 June, exactly eight weeks from today.
Read More:
- What happened to the other officers arrested over George Floyd death?
- Minnesota crowd reacts to Chauvin verdict
- George Floyd’s family learn verdict was in from CNN
- Derek Chauvin found guilty on all murder charges
- How long will Derek Chauvin get in jail and what does the verdict mean?
- Who is Derek Chauvin's ex-wife, who filed for divorce after George Floyd's death?
Read The Independent’s updates and analysis below.
George Floyd’s cousin ‘pleased’ with verdict, but ‘still saddened at the same time’
The cousin of George Floyd, Paris Stevens, told CNN on Wednesday morning that she was “pleased” that the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of her cousin’s murder, but she was “still saddened at the same time”.
Ms Stevens said: “I’m pleased that I know that change is here and police are going to start being held accountable.
Mr Floyd’s aunt, Angela Harrelson, who was also in the interview, said if it hadn’t been for 17-year-old Darnella Frazier, “we would never have had the story”.
“The sad thing is if it hadn’t been for that 17-year-old girl Darnella, it would have been another Black man that was killed by the police, his own fault, and they would have said, ‘Oh it was drugs, oh it was this’,” she told the broadcaster.
“And we would never have had the story we would have and wouldn’t be here today talking.”
Ms Harrelson said she was “really, really good” with Mr Chauvin facing up to 40 years in jail for killing her nephew, adding: “We are going to continue this journey and we must not let his death be his last word.”
Floyd case shows work remains to be done on systemic racism, UN rights chief says
The UN’s human rights chief has said the George Floyd murder case has highlighted how much work remains to be done to end systemic racism in the US.
Michelle Bachelet called on Wednesday for more cases of excessive use of force by police or killings by police to be brought before the courts, adding that it was time for an end to such crimes going unpunished.
“This case has also helped reveal, perhaps more clearly than ever before, how much remains to be done to reverse the tide of systemic racism that permeates the lives of people of African descent,” Ms Bachelet added.
Protesters gather at police headquarters after Black teenager fatally shot by officer
Hundreds of protesters marched in Columbus, Ohio, last night over the killing of a Black teenage girl by police in the city.
Makiyah Bryant was identified by her family as the 16-year-old victim in the police shooting on Tuesday afternoon.
Our reporter, James Crump, has the full story below:
Protests at police headquarters after Black teenager Makiyah Bryant is killed by officer
‘She was just a kid,’ demonstrators chant on Tuesday evening
Chauvin wrote attorney’s number on hand in case of guilty verdict, report says
Derek Chauvin had written his attorney’s number on the palm of his hand to be able to contact his attorney in the case that he was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, a report has said.
The 45-year-old was led away from the courtroom in Minneapolis in handcuffs following the decision, and the black writing was visible on the palm of Chauvin’s hand while he was led away.
Louise Hall reports:
Chauvin wrote attorney’s number on hand in case of guilty verdict, report says
Judge revokes Chauvin’s bail and he will remain in police custody until his sentencing, which is scheduled for June.
Derek Chauvin’s mugshot released as he’s placed on ‘administrative segregation’ over safety concerns
The Minnesota Department of Corrections has released the new booking photo of Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin remains in the maximum security prison there and is currently under “administrative segregation” for his safety, a spokesperson told CNN.
Sarah Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, said: “He is on ‘administrative segregation’ status for his safety, and is in the Administrative Control Unit (ACU) at Oak Park Heights. The ACU is the state’s most secure unit.
“Administrative segregation is used when someone’s presence in the general population is a safety concern.”
Louise Hall reports:
School bus driver fired after making racist remark to Black student
A white Louisiana school bus driver who made a racist remark to a Black student about the murder of George Floyd is out of a job after the child’s mother complained to school officials.
WWL-TV reported that 11-year-old Rashad Gabriel had a face mask below his nose and told a driver he was out of breath after running to catch a bus to Trist Middle School in St. Bernard Parish, located in metro New Orleans, on April 9.
“Since George Floyd, that’s what you all say, but I don’t see a knee on your neck,” the driver replied, according to the child’s mother, Rose Gabriel. Other children heard the statement, which also was captured on a video surveillance system on the vehicle.
The mother reported it, and School Superintendent Doris Voitier said the driver no longer works for the system.
“What she said is offensive and inappropriate. It was racially insensitive. And we took appropriate action,” said Voitier, who declined comment on whether the driver, who wasn’t identified publicly, was fired or resigned.
Rose Gabriel welcomed the quick action. “It made me relieved that I know she’s no longer on the bus with my son or anybody else’s child,” she said.
AP
US Attorney General launches probe of Minneapolis police
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has launched a sweeping investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department’s practices following former officer Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction.
The probe “will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests”, Mr Garland told a news conference.
The Attorney General had previously said he will make cracking down on police misconduct a priority.
The Justice Department previously announced an investigation into whether the officers involved in Floyd’s death violated his civil rights.
On Friday, the department withdrew a policy put in place during former president Donald Trump’s administration that limited the tools the federal government could use to monitor and probe police misconduct.
10-year-old witness at Derek Chauvin trial says she’s ‘proud’ of her role
Judeah Reynolds, a 10-year-old witness at the trial of Derek Chauvin, has said she felt “kind of proud” when she learned he had been convicted.
“My mom said that we brought chance. My dad said, ‘We won’,” she told Good Morning America.
Our reporter Nathan Place has the story:
10-year-old witness at Derek Chauvin trial is ‘proud’ of her role
Judeah Reynolds was only nine years old when she witnessed the killing of George Floyd
Ted Cruz says Joe Biden comments could overturn Chauvin verdict on appeal
The Texas senator says the president’s pre-verdict comments that he was praying for the “right verdict” in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin could provide ground for the conviction to be thrown out.
Cruz, a former attorney who has argued before the Supreme Court, suggested in a tweet that the president’s comments were equivalent to those of Maxine Waters, who called for protesters to get “more confrontational” if Chauvin was not found guilty.
Trial judge Peter Cahill called comments from elected officials “abhorrent” and that Waters may have given Chauvin material for the whole trial to be overturned on appeal.
The White House argued that the jury had been sequestered when he made his comments, and so would therefore not influence deliberations.
Portland officer king hit and swarmed after Chauvin verdict
Over in the Pacific North West, an officer was punched in the face as a group swarmed over him during unrest that erupted following Chauvin trial verdict, according to The Oregonion.
The newspaper published video of the incident, which during an unlawful assembly declared in downtown Portland.
It’s hard to tell from the footage, but it looks like the officer was struck by some kind of a club or blackjack before falling to the ground
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