Minneapolis Celebrates Guilty Verdict in Chauvin Trial

Celebrations in Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon as a verdict was read in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin. A crowd of hundreds had gathered outside the Hennepin County Courthouse amidst word of an imminent verdict after a day of jury deliberations in the trial. Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts - second-degree unintentional murder, second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder.

Crowds celebrated the verdict, crying and hugging outside the courthouse amidst a flurry of cameras in town covering the trial. The girlfriend of George Floyd, Courtney Ross, was seen in tears before leading protesters in prayer after the announcement. Chants, speeches and dancing ensued before a march through downtown Minneapolis, where protesters both celebrated what they viewed as a victory in this case, and also called for further prosecutions against other officers in police-involved killings.

Demonstrations continued until around 8 pm downtown, before some went over to the George Floyd Memorial at 38th and Chicago (the site of Floyd's initial encounter with officer Derek Chauvin back on May 25th, 2020) to continue celebrating in the no-police zone that has been set up. Crowds began to fan out around 10 pm, with some still lingering around the memorial paying their respects to Floyd and others killed in police interactions in the U.S.