Derek Chauvin Gets At Least 20 Years for Violating Floyd’s Civil Rights

A federal judge on Wednesday accepted a plea deal that will sentence former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to between 20 and 25 years in prison for violating the rights of George Floyd, whose murder in 2020 was followed by mass protests.

Chauvin is already serving a 22 and one-half year sentence for Floyd’s murder and last month asked a state appeals court to overturn his conviction. The killing of Floyd, a Black man, helped trigger a national movement against racism and police violence after viral video captured Chauvin, who is White, kneeling on the handcuffed man’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Chauvin initially pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he violated Floyd’s constitutional rights. But late last year, he pleaded guilty to one count of violating Floyd’s civil rights and one count of violating the rights of a teenager in another case; prosecutors said that they would dismiss other charges and that they would recommend a sentence to be served concurrently with his prison time for the murder conviction.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson wrote Wednesday that the court “deferred accepting Defendant’s plea pending issuance of the preliminary presentence investigation report.”

The plea deal said the court should sentence Chauvin to no less than 20 years imprisonment and no more than 25 years.

“That report has now issued, and acceptance of the plea is appropriate,” Magnuson said.

An attorney representing Chauvin did not immediately respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Last year, a jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

(c) 2022, The Washington Post · Hannah Knowles