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Minneapolis reflects on Chauvin verdict as a step toward healing and calm

20 April 2021
Dan Ackermann

A growing crowd outside the Hennepin County Government Center broke out into cheers, hugs and tears of relief as word of the Derek Chauvin verdict spread just after 4pm CST.

Catch up quick: Eleven months after George Floyd died under the former Minneapolis police officer's knee, a jury of 12 neighbors returned a guilty verdict on all three counts.

The big picture: Floyd's family and many activists believe that true justice would mean Floyd was still alive, but have said nothing short of a second-degree murder conviction would be an acceptable outcome.

  • After weeks of testimony and about 10 hours of jury deliberations, they got what they wanted.

What remains to be seen: Whether this marks a more significant turning point for police accountability, given how rare convictions remain.

What's next: Sentencing, a likely appeal and the August trial of the other three officers lie ahead. Calls to address deeper issues with racial justice and policing will continue — both here and across America.

  • Even as many celebrate the verdict, the broader community is still grappling with the police shooting of Daunte Wright just over a week ago.

Courteney Ross, Floyd's girlfriend at the time of his death, captured the hopes of many in our community in a CNN interview before the verdict was read:

  • "I think it will mean change. It’s a first step in a long road to recovery. We have a lot of work to do in Minneapolis. But I believe Floyd came here for a reason. ... Maybe we are the epicenter for change. Maybe we are making the world look at things in a different way."

The bottom line: After weeks of anxiety, many across the metro will be hoping for closure, a step toward healing and relative calm.

Go deeper:Derek Chauvin found guilty of all 3 charges in George Floyd's death

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.