Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin (screen capture)The jury in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with manslaughter and murder charges for the death of George Floyd, has reached a verdict in less than a day.
The verdict will be read at 4:30 pm ET.
From NBC News:
The panel of seven women and five men began deliberating Monday after three weeks of witness testimony.
Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The third-degree murder charge had initially been dismissed, but it was reinstated after an appeals court ruling in an unrelated case established new grounds for it days before jury selection started.
Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. Second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years.
Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for several minutes as Floyd, who was Black, was handcuffed and lying on the ground.
During the trial, prosecutors called 38 witnesses. The defense called seven witnesses, two of whom were experts.