LANSING, Mich., April 20, 2021 – Today, after 12 hours of deliberation, the jury for the Derek Chauvin murder trial released a unanimous guilty verdict on all three counts of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter charges. State Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) released the following statement:
“After repeated injustices, today’s verdict is long overdue. Last summer, the world witnessed the unacceptable use of excessive police force as George Floyd took his final breaths. Police officers are supposed to protect and serve their community. Not serve as judge, jury, and executioner.
The Black Lives Matter movement does not end today. We must use these atrocities as a catalyst to work for immediate reform in our law enforcement and criminal justice departments. It is beyond time that we specifically address the systemic racism Black members of our community face each and every day.”
###