CHAUVIN VERDICT NOT GUILTY TRIAL

“We’ve all been forced to grapple with the question: What is justice? Because our criminal-legal system is not a just system - it’s a violent and oppressive one.”

CHAUVIN VERDICT NOT GUILTY TRIAL

“This trial has always been about one police officer in a corrupt and violent system that continues to disproportionately target Black and brown people,” Missouri Rep. President Joe Biden called the results of the trial “a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a particularly disturbing statement, thanked Floyd for “sacrificing life for justice.” But when the word “justice” is used in these instances, what does it really mean? As Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison put it, “I would not call today’s verdict justice, because justice implies restoration.” And while the verdict brings some relief, it doesn’t change the entire system, nor does it prevent the ongoing killing of Black and brown people at the hands of police.Īfter the verdict was revealed, many people - including politicians - were quick to celebrate. It took multiple videos, testimonies from 45 experts and witnesses, and a year of protests until Chauvin was convicted. And when Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville police officers in her bed while she was asleep, the officers were relieved of their duties, but no one was charged for her death. Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed Michael Brown in 2014, was not indicted. At the end of last month, just miles from where Chauvin murdered Floyd, another officer shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Just 20 minutes before Chauvin’s verdict was announced, Columbus, OH, police shot and killed Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old who had reportedly called the cops for help. Since Chauvin’s trial began several weeks ago, police officers killed at least 64 Americans, mostly Black and Latino men.

But as many understandably celebrate this verdict, after decades of fighting for Black lives against police brutality, it’s important to remember: This isn’t justice, this is accountability. Nearly a year later, on April 20, 2021, Chauvin was found guilty on three counts of manslaughter and murder.

On May 25, 2020, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man, by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes while he called out for help.

Chauvin verdict not guilty