Derek Chauvin Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Prison in Federal Civil Rights Case - Reports

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - US District Court Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 20 years and four months in prison for violating federal civil rights laws during the incident in which he killed George Floyd in May 2020, FOX 9 reported.

Chauvin was found guilty in 2021 by the state of Minnesota of second-degree murder in Floyd’s death and sentenced to over 22 years in prison. The additional federal sentence for civil rights violations will be served concurrently with the state sentence, according to the report on Thursday.

In addition to admitting to depriving Floyd of his civil rights by kneeling on his neck for an extended period of time, ultimately leading to his death, Chauvin also pleaded guilty to unrelated charges of using excessive force against a black 14-year-old boy in 2017.

During the sentencing hearing, Chauvin addressed Floyd’s family to wish them well in life, the report said.

Chauvin’s mother also spoke during the hearing to ask the judge to sentence Chauvin to a federal prison near Minnesota or Iowa where his family lives, the report added.

The other former officers involved in the incident - Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane - were also found guilty in federal court of violating Floyd’s civil rights by not intervening to stop Chauvin from continuing to kneel on his neck.

The judge said during the sentencing hearing that Chauvin ruined the lives of his fellow former officers, to the report said.