A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating the civil rights of George Floyd, a move that adds a few years to the time the former Minneapolis police officer is already serving his murder sentence, while at the same time transferred to federal custody.
District Judge Paul Magnuson’s sentencing came after Chauvin accepted a plea deal that called for a sentence of between 20 and 25 years. Federal prosecutors had sought the higher end of that range, arguing that Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd in cold blood when he pinned the black man to the pavement outside a Minneapolis store on May 25, 2020 for more than of 9 minutes while Floyd claimed that he could not breathe.
Chauvin’s attorney had requested 20 years, arguing that his client was remorseful.
During Thursday’s hearing, Chauvin told Floyd’s family that he “wishes the best” for Floyd’s children. But Chauvin’s brief comments did not include any direct apology or expression of regret to Floyd’s family.
Chauvin is already serving a 22 1/2-year sentence on state murder charges.
The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve the sentences concurrently and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he will likely be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.
