George Floyd, at left, and Derek Chauvin.Photo: Splash
Before the video ofGeorge Floyd’s murder went viral, the Minneapolis policeposted a press releaseon their website with a very different story of what happened between Floyd and officerDerek Chauvin.
The news release was entitled, “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction,” and the narrative said that Floyd — who was not named — “physically resisted officers” and was “under the influence.”
“Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress,” the release said, adding that officers called for an ambulance to take Floyd to the hospital.
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In the video, Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee, applying the force of his bodyweight to Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd repeatedly pleaded for help. Floyd ultimately went limp, while Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Frazier’s video went viral after the May 25, 2020 murder, fueling the worldwide response that sent millions into the streets to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
Fraziertestified as a witness for the prosecutionduring Chauvin’s trial, describing the trauma that has since followed her. She said it has caused her at times to lie awake at night “apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life.”
“I heard George Floyd say, ‘I can’t breathe, please get off of me. I can’t breathe,’ " Frazier testified. “He cried for his mom. He was in pain, and it was like he knew it was over for him.”
Chauvin was convicted of three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He has been remanded to custody and will be sentenced in approximately eight weeks.
Second-degree murder carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder has a penalty up to 25, and manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Listen below to the episode ofour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Dayfor more on Derek Chauvin’s conviction.
According to theNew York Times, the recommended sentence for a first-time offender found guilty of second- or third-degree murder is 12 1/2 years in Minnesota. The recommended sentence for manslaughter is 4 years.
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source: people.com
