International Desk : George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was brutally murdered by Minneapolis Police Station officer, Derek Chauvin, with a knee to the neck restricting his breathing till his imminent death, on May 25 2020.

Police officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, had assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd, while police officer, Tou Thao, prevented bystanders from interfering.

The incident, in its wake, gave global rise to the “Black Lives Matter” movement, and left the four offending police officers fired. The main offender, Chauvin was charged with charged and later convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

Photo credit : Hennepin County Jail

After more than a year of this ongoing case, the convicted ex-cop was finally given a 22.5 years sentence this Friday June 25.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said that Chauvin's sentence was "one of the longest a former police officer has ever received" for deadly force.

Following the testimony on Friday, Judge Peter Cahill said that the decision made by the court was neither ‘based on is emotion, or sympathy,’ nor on ‘public opinion’.

Given Chauvin’s previously lacking criminal record, Minnesota sentencing guidelines recommended Chauvin be sentenced to 12.5 years. However, an additional 10 years was added by the court due to ‘aggravating factors’, like the abuse of his authoritative position; the cruel treatment of Floyd done by him even as the man claimed he couldn’t breathe; the fact that he murdered as a part of a group; and that he did so infront of children.

Defense attorney appointed for Chauvin, Eric Nelson, asked the court to reconsider the aggravating factors along with considering that Chauvin had previously lived an ‘honorable life’ without any criminal records, although to no avail.

George’s brother Terrence Floyd directly addressed Chauvin saying “Why? What were you thinking? What was going through your head when you had your knee on my brother's neck?"

Terence additionally asked for 40 years of sentence, the maximum available.

While his mother Carolyn Pawlenty went on about her unwavering belief in her son’s ‘innocence’, and how he was a ‘good man’, Chauvin had sent his condolences to Floyd’s family, without apologizing for his wrong-doings.

The judge said the case had been painful for the community and the country, but above all, for Floyd's family.

Sunnews/NT