Derek Chauvin Sentenced To 22.5 Years In Prison For The Murder Of George Floyd

 Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. 

Judge Peter Cahill handed down the sentence of 270 months - the longest an officer has ever received for unlawful use of deadly force - on Friday and granted Chauvin 199 days already served. 

He will likely serve just 15 years and could be released on good behavior once he's eligible for parole, which many demonstrators chanting outside the Minneapolis courtroom say isn't enough. 

'This is based on your abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particular cruelty shown to George Floyd,' Judge Cahill said to the disgraced former cop. 'I'm not basing my sentencing on public opinion, I'm not basing it on any attempt to send any messages.' 

Cahill also addressed Floyd's family, who had spoken out in emotional victim impact statements, telling them, 'I acknowledge and hear the pain that you're feeling.' 

In addition to jail time, Chauvin is also prohibited from possessing a gun, ammunition, or explosives for the remainder of his life and is required also register as a predatory offender. As a first-time offender, Chauvin had potentially faced 12 and a half years in prison, and the most serious charge that Chauvin was convicted of - second-degree murder - carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. 

The former Minneapolis officer, dressed today in a gray suit and tie with a buzz cut, was found guilty in April on all three counts - second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter - for kneeling on 46-year-old Floyd's neck for nine minutes in May 2020. 

In his sentencing memo, Judge Cahill wrote: 'Mr. Chauvin, rather than pursuing the MPD mission, treated Mr. Floyd without respect and denied him the dignity owed to all human beings and which he certainly would have extended to a friend or neighbor.' 

The sentencing came after Chauvin spoke briefly to offer the Floyd family his condolences.

Chauvin said he could not give a full statement because of additional legal matters, but said, 'There's going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest. And I hope things will give you some peace of mind. Thank you.' 

There are still two federal indictments pending against Chauvin - one for violating Floyd's civil rights during the arrest that led to his death and one for assaulting a 14-year-old with a flashlight.  

Chauvin spoke after four heartbreaking victim impact statements from George Floyd's family, including Floyd's seven-year-old daughter Gianna Floyd, his nephew Brandon Williams, and brothers Terrence Floyd and Philonise Floyd.