Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on Friday after being convicted of murdering George Floyd last year. Judge Peter Cahill will decide if the ex-cop will get probation or more than 30 years in prison called for by prosecutors. Chauvin was seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd’s death sparked global outrage and protests in addition to unrest.
Chauvin is currently being held in the Stillwater Correctional Institution about 25 miles east of downtown Minneapolis. He was placed in an administrative control unit a.k.a. segregated unit away from the general population.
According to CNN, the department of corrections spokes person Sarah Fitzgerald’s stated “He’s on ‘administrative segregation’ status for his safety,” continuing “administration segregation is used when someone’s presence in the general population is a safety concern.”
Chauvin could technically face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for manslaughter. Convict Derek Chauvin’s sentence will depend on several factors including the states guidelines and whether the judge decides to go beyond the guidelines because of certain circumstances.
The vicious murder of Mr. George Floyd has sparked the largest civil rights protest in decades. While those who have watched the nine minute video will never forget the images Floyd being forcefully restrained over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill while calling out for his deceased mother and uttering his final last words “I can’t breathe.”
