On Tuesday afternoon, a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Across America, in offices, living rooms, and in the streets, millions of people breathed a sigh of relief—something Floyd was denied for 9 minutes and 29 seconds with a knee to his neck and a knee to his back.
While Tuesday’s verdict brought accountability, it didn’t bring justice. George Floyd was murdered. By police. In broad daylight. Slowly. Cruelly. In view of the public, pleading for his breath, for his life. Some bystanders even called the police on the police, hoping to save his life. But Floyd died, and his family will never get him back. Policing in Minneapolis, throughout Minnesota, and across the United States is fundamentally broken. It is fundamentally unjust.
