The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office issued the following statement on today’s verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. A Minneapolis police officer, Chauvin was charged with killing George Floyd, a Black man, by kneeling for 9½ minutes on his neck:
“We send our deep condolences to Mr. Floyd’s friends and family. This verdict is a start to eliminating the ingrained racism in the justice system that for too long has condoned and perpetrated state-sanctioned violence against Black people.
This verdict is more than holding one person accountable. This verdict is a defining moment of our generation that galvanizes a collective movement toward building a fair justice system that ensures safety for all of the people it represents.
We thank the prosecutors for their meticulous work in bringing former officer Derek Chauvin to justice. We thank the reasonable officers who testified that Derek Chauvin’s actions were unjustified. We thank the numerous bystanders who bore witness and had the courage to speak truth to power. We thank the members of the jury for upholding and performing their vital role in the judicial system with grace.
Justice for George Floyd demands that we work to end the dehumanizing treatment of human beings in the justice system.”
