The verdict came in after about 10 hours of jury deliberations over two days. He was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
“In this country, you get to go before jury selection of your peers, and that’s what he had,” said Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.
Jones doesn’t anticipate any response locally to the verdict, but he does call for peace across the country.
“This case has had an emotional impact on not just the Minneapolis community but every community in this country,” Jones said. “We need to build our nation up by conversation and understanding, not tearing it down with more hate, hostility and violence.”
Floyd’s death ignited protests and riots in Minneapolis and across the country, as he was another person of color who died while in the custody of the police. Chauvin was fired from the Minneapolis Police Department along with others who also face charges related to Floyd’s death.
Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.
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