A US jury in the state of Minnesota found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the George Floyd murder trial.
After reading Tuesday's verdicts, the Judge said Chauvin will be sentenced in eight weeks and will remain in custody, adding that Chauvin's bail has been revoked.
It took the jury about 10 hours to reach a verdict, which touched off jubilation outside the courthouse.
Ben Crump, the lawyer for Floyd's family, hailed the verdict as a landmark victory.
"Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement," Crump tweeted.
Chauvin faces a maximum of 75 years in prison.
While trying to arrest Floyd who was accused of using a fake 20 dollar bill at a local convenience store, Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck three times for almost a total of ten minutes. After complaining "I can't breathe" when Chauvin's knee was on his neck, Floyd lost consciousness during the arrest and died shortly at a hospital.
Floyd’s death triggered mass protests in a large number of major cities in the United States, where demonstrators denounced police brutality and demanded justice for African Americans who suffered at the hands of US police officers.
