Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, has been convicted for murdering George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States.
Judge Peter Cahill read the verdict on Tuesday, at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, where the trial began last month.
A 12-member jury found Chauvin guilty of all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. Deliberations began on Monday and lasted just over 10 hours.
The ex-cop had pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
His bail was also revoked, which means he will remain in jail until he is sentenced.
The conviction triggered a wave of relief and reflection not only across the United States but in countries around the world.
“It was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism. This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America,” US President, Joe Biden said in televised remarks.
