On April 20, 2021, Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all accounts for his role in causing the death of George Floyd. The charges include second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. These charges are enough to keep Chauvin in jail for the rest of his life, but they will run concurrently which could only add up to around 40 years. This is the first time in MN. state history that a white officer has been charged with the death of a Black man. The state brought the National Guard and ramped up security measures prior to the verdict to prepare for protestors of any kind.

The case began almost a year ago on May 25, 2020 when Chauvin murdered Floyd during an attempted arrest on the suspicion of a counterfeit $20 bill. While handcuffed and face down on the street, Chauvin, while working for the Minneapolis Police Department, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nine and a half minutes. During the altercation, Floyd stated, “I can’t breathe,” which has now become a slogan for the Black Lives Matter movement. Following the announcement of the guilty charge, Floyd’s brother told the press, “Today, we are able to breathe again.” President Joe Biden sent condolences to Floyd’s family as well as announced that he was pleased with the verdict.

In addition to the use of the phrase by the Black Lives Matter movement, they also organized protests following Floyd’s death. Outrage was seen across the entirety of the United States of America and in other parts of the world. Protests broke out and were peaceful at the start. Eventually, they turned violent with buildings and property damaged. It is unsure who was truly responsible for the damage. Many peaceful protestors stated they felt it was giving their true message a bad image to those who were against them. Black Lives Matter has been met with groups of counter-protestors that use the phrases All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. These groups tend to be viewed as racist and a way to undermine the true meaning of the Black Lives Matter campaign.

America is still experiencing tension on cases similar to Floyd’s. The nation appears to be split on whether justice was truly served or not. Reminiscent of the ‘60s and the Civil Rights Movement, this seems to be an issue that will continue on for many years to come.

For more information, please contact the author, Emma Beatty, at [email protected].