Derek Chauvin to be sentenced June 16

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16 after a jury earlier this week found him guilty of the charges brought against him in the death of George Floyd last May.

The Hennepin County District Court said that Chauvin will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m., according to CNBC. 

He is facing up to 40 years in prison.

The Hill has reached out to the court for comment. 

The scheduling comes three days after the jury on Tuesday found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Chauvin’s trial lasted three weeks and the jury deliberated for 10 hours to reach its decision. 

In late May of last year, bystander footage posted to social media showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes during an arrest. The former officer held his knee to Floyd’s neck until he became unresponsive. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests during the summer of 2020, bringing the issue of police reform to the forefront of legislative discussions in Washington, D.C.

Chauvin was remanded to custody after his verdict was read, and he was transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights soon afterward.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Chauvin is currently being held in solitary conferment for 23 hours a day due to fears over his safety.

The Times previously reported that he was scheduled to be sentenced June 16.

Democratic lawmakers and advocates argue that Chauvin’s verdict is only a first step toward justice, and that much more is needed to reform policing across the U.S.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) earlier Friday published an op-ed in USA Today stating that Chauvin’s conviction needs to be followed by “meaningful policy change.”