Trial of Derek Chauvin (2021)
On April 20, 2021, a 12-member jury in the Fourth Judicial District Court of Minnesota found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges in the killing of George Floyd. The verdict—unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter—marked the first time a white police officer had been convicted in Minnesota for the murder of a Black person. The case, rooted in the video-recorded death of Floyd on May 25, 2020, had sparked global protests over racial injustice and police brutality, making the trial one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings in modern American history.
The Death of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, after a store clerk reported he had used a counterfeit $20 bill. Officer Derek Chauvin, then 44, knelt on Floyd's neck and back for approximately nine and a half minutes while Floyd lay handcuffed and face-down on the pavement, repeatedly saying "I can't breathe." Bystander Darnella Frazier captured the encounter on her cellphone, and the footage spread rapidly online, showing Floyd losing consciousness and eventually dying at the scene. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Within days, Chauvin was fired from the Minneapolis Police Department, and prosecutors charged him with murder. The video ignited an unprecedented wave of protests across the United States and around the world, with demonstrators demanding accountability for police violence against Black Americans and renewed scrutiny of systemic racism in law enforcement. The case became a flashpoint in a national reckoning, prompting policy debates over use-of-force standards, qualified immunity, and police funding in cities nationwide. Chauvin's three fellow officers at the scene, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao, were also charged, though their trials proceeded separately. The intense public attention surrounding Floyd's death set the stage for a trial conducted under extraordinary scrutiny, with courtroom proceedings partially televised for the first time in Minnesota history.
Did You Know?
Judge Peter Cahill allowed cameras inside the courtroom for live broadcast, marking the first full criminal trial in Minnesota history to be televised gavel-to-gavel, a decision driven by pandemic-era capacity limits and overwhelming public interest.
The Trial Proceedings
Jury selection began on March 8, 2021, and opening statements started on March 29 before Judge Peter Cahill in Hennepin County District Court. Prosecutors, led by Attorney General Keith Ellison's office, called 38 witnesses over three weeks, including bystanders who watched Floyd die, medical experts who testified about asphyxiation, and police officials—including Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo—who testified that Chauvin's use of force violated department policy and training. Floyd's girlfriend, Courteney Ross, and teenage witness Darnella Frazier gave emotional testimony describing the trauma of witnessing his death. The defense, led by attorney Eric Nelson, argued that Floyd's death resulted from underlying heart disease and drug use rather than Chauvin's restraint, calling seven witnesses including a use-of-force expert and a forensic pathologist. Chauvin did not testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment right. Closing arguments occurred on April 19, 2021, with prosecutor Steve Schleicher urging jurors to "believe your eyes" regarding the video evidence. The jury, composed of six white and six Black or multiracial members, deliberated for approximately 10 hours over two days before reaching its verdict.
Verdict and Aftermath
On April 20, 2021, the jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts: unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Judge Cahill later sentenced Chauvin on June 25, 2021, to 22.5 years in prison, exceeding sentencing guidelines due to what the judge called an abuse of authority and particular cruelty toward Floyd. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke publicly after the verdict, calling it a step toward justice while acknowledging that systemic change remained necessary. Civil rights leaders, including Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump, hailed the conviction as historic, noting it was rare for police officers to face murder convictions in the killing of Black civilians in the United States. The city of Minneapolis had already reached a $27 million civil settlement with Floyd's family in March 2021, shortly before the trial began. Chauvin was later also convicted in federal court in December 2021 for violating Floyd's civil rights and received a concurrent 21-year federal sentence. The trial's outcome influenced ongoing national conversations about police reform, though comprehensive federal legislation such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act ultimately stalled in Congress, leaving much of the reform effort to state and local governments in the years that followed.