Derek Chauvin gets 21 years for violating George Floyd's civil rights
St. Paul, Minnesota - Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights.
Senior US District Court Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Chauvin to 252 months in prison, but subtracted seven months from his sentence for time served, according to CNN.
The disgraced officer pleaded guilty to depriving Floyd of his civil rights in December as part of a plea agreement. If Chauvin stood trial and was convicted of the federal charges against him, he would've faced up to life in prison.
Prosecutors, who initially asked the judge for a 25-year sentence, requested the court allow Chauvin's sentence to run concurrently with his 22.5-year state sentence for Floyd's murder.
In April 2021, the 46-year-old was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd's death. In June 2021, he was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison.
Due to Minnesota state law, Chauvin will have to serve no less than two-thirds, or 15 years, of his state sentence. At that point, he'll be eligible for supervised release for the remaining time.
In February, former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane were found guilty by a federal jury of violating Floyd's right to medical care.
The three officers assisted Chauvin at the scene as he proceeded to kneel on the back of Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds – an action that ultimately ended his life.
The US Bureau of Prisons has yet to publicly announce where Chauvin will serve his federal sentence.
Cover photo: REUTERS