George Floyd
The initial police press release documenting the arrest of George Floyd in May 2020 simply stated: "Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance. The subject, an adult male believed to be in his 40s, was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where he was pronounced dead."
The release also noted that no weapons were used by anyone involved.
The report made no mention of Floyd being held down with a knee on his neck for more than 9 minutes.
It wasn't until cell phone video captured by bystanders was posted that the world heard Floyd crying out that he couldn't breathe as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him down.
The footage went viral, sparking a summer of national protests over policing and racial bias.
One bystander who took video, Darnella Frazier, testified during Chauvin's trial. "I heard George Floyd saying — I can't breathe. Please. Get off me. I can't breathe," she testified. "He cried for his mom... It seemed like he knew — seemed like he knew it was over for him."
Several other bystanders also captured video of the encounter, including another high school student, an off-duty firefighter and an employee at the Speedway across the street.
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd. His sentencing is set for June 25.
Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for manslaughter. Chauvin has no prior criminal record, so Minnesota's sentencing guidelines recommend about 12 and a half years in prison for each murder charge and about four years for the manslaughter charge.
But the judge in the case recently ruled Floyd's murder had four aggravating factors, which paves the way for him to sentence Chauvin to longer than the recommended 12 and a half years.
