Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
Chauvin had previously pleaded not guilty to violating Floyd’s constitutional rights when he arrested Floyd and killed him after kneeling on his neck for nearly 10 minutes last spring in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd’s murder sparked international outrage and kicked off the largest nationwide protests for racial justice seen in decades.
Earlier this week, Chauvin filed paperwork through his attorneys that he intended to change his plea, eight months after a jury convicted him of murder and he was sentenced to over 22 years in prison.
Chauvin also faces charges in a separate case involving a 14-year-old boy in September 2017. Chauvin is charged with violating the boy’s civil rights after he struck him with a flashlight and knelt on his neck while the boy was handcuffed on the ground. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
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Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
