US Former Police Officer To Be Sentenced For George Floyd Murder
Muhammad Irfan Published June 25, 2021 | 10:50 AM
Minneapolis, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2021 ) :Former policeman Derek Chauvin could be ordered behind bars for 30 years on Friday when he is sentenced for the murder of African American George Floyd, a killing that sparked America's biggest demonstrations for racial justice in decades.
Minnesota law provides for a minimum sentence of 12.5 years for the white, 45-year-old killer, who has been jailed since being convicted on three counts of murder and manslaughter two months ago.
But Judge Peter Cahill, who will hand down the sentence at 1:30 pm (1830 GMT) in a Minneapolis court, identified aggravating circumstances that could signal a much heavier punishment.
He said Chauvin had "abused his position of trust and authority," treated Floyd with "particular cruelty" in front of minors and "committed the crime as a group with the active participation of at least three other" officers.
Chauvin and three colleagues arrested Floyd, 46, in May last year on suspicion of having passed a fake $20 bill in a store in Minneapolis, a northern city of around 420,000. They handcuffed him and pinned him to the ground in the middle of the street.
Chauvin then knelt on the back of Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes, indifferent to the dying man's groans and to the pleas of distraught passers-by.
The scene, filmed and uploaded by a young woman, quickly went viral. After weeks of home confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people poured onto streets across the country and also overseas, to demand an end to racism and police brutality.
It took weeks for the mass demonstrations to taper off, but the debate around the pressing social issues remains vivid in the United States, where President Joe Biden has been slow to come up with the police reforms he promised during his campaign.
Late Thursday, Republican and Democratic lawmakers announced that after weeks of negotiations they had come up with "an agreement on a framework addressing the major issues for bipartisan police reform.""Over the next few weeks we look forward to continuing our work toward getting a finalized proposal across the finish line," the members of Congress said in a statement.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
IHC adjourns PTI founder, Qureshi's appeal till Thursday
CDWP recommends 3 projects to ECNEC for approval
Tarar assures APNS to resolve issues of newspaper industry
Pakistan urged to capitalize on economic stability, for Tobacco Tax Reforms
N. Macedonia polls set to upend ties with EU neighbours
Croatia's ruling party reaches coalition deal with right wing
Bayern coach Tuchel makes three changes for Madrid showdown
Olympic flame arrives on French soil for Paris Games
Punjab Finance Minister announces expansion of Social Protection Authority's man ..
Kenya inks deal to end doctors' strike
Brazil flooding death toll reaches 100
Lebanon security source says five killed in Israeli strikes on south
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Concerted efforts urged to ease traffic flow on city roads
4 days ago -
Land degradation: A threat to food security
4 days ago -
Revamping health sector, a gigantic task ahead
4 days ago -
American band promotes intercultural harmony thru music fusions
4 days ago -
Waste Management – A persistent challenge for MWMC
6 days ago -
Experts for ending child labour
8 days ago
-
Labour Day - A reminder for better facilities to workers
8 days ago -
Stage Drama Mohabati Manhoon presents in Arts council Larkana
10 days ago -
Wheat farmers in a fix on price, procurement mechanism
11 days ago -
Modern tools to help transform crime investigation procedures
11 days ago -
Sanam Marvi captivates audience with mesmerizing performance
11 days ago -
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
13 days ago