Derek Chauvin opted out of testifying during his murder trial but his one statement to George Floyd’s family came off cryptic and possibly hinted at his attempts to lessen his sentence.
Last Friday, Chuavin was sentenced to 22.5 years for murdering Floyd in May 2020. Now, it appears that the former officer is already in talks with federal prosecutors in an attempt to work out a plea deal, CBS Minnesota
reports.Ahead of his sentencing, Chauvin made a puzzling statement that left many wondering if there was an underlying message behind his words.
“Due to legal matters, I’m not able to give a full formal statement … I give my condolences to the Floyd family, there’s gonna be some other information in the future that will be of interest and I hope these will give you some peace of mind,” Chauvin told the Floyd family.
An apology for kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes wasn’t as forthcoming, but his reasoning for the fatal move might’ve been missing since a plea deal in the federal case would force him to publicly explain what he did to Floyd and why.
It’s a question Floyd’s brother Terrence Floyd asked the disgraced officer during the trial.
“We don’t want to see no more slaps on the wrist. We’ve been through that already,” Terrence Floyd said. “What was going through your head when you had your knee on my brother’s neck?”
As part of the possible plea deal, Chauvin could get a 20- to 25-year sentence that he would serve at the same time as the state sentence. He would also serve his time in federal not state prison. If Chauvin is found guilty of his civil rights charges in federal court, he could be facing life in prison, Fox News
reports.When sentencing Chauvin, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill went beyond the 12 1/2-year sentence prescribed under state guidelines, and cited Chauvin’s “abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particular cruelty” he showed the Floyd family.