Derek Chauvin offered up a very brief statement in court today just minutes before receiving his sentence. He said he couldn’t say much because of “additional legal matters at hand.” He did offer his condolences, then offered up this cryptic message, “there is going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest and I hope some things will give you some peace of mind.”

Moments later Chauvin was sentenced to 270 months or 22.5 years behind bars for murdering George Floyd. The former Minneapolis police officer learned his fate Friday, eight weeks after a jury found him guilty of killing Floyd when he kneeled on the man’s neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds back in May 2020. Before sentencing, there were four people connected to Floyd who presented victim statements. This included his 7-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Floyd’s brothers Terrence and Philonise Floyd also offered tearful statements.

Chauvin’s mother also got a chance to plead with the judge. She didn’t mention George Floyd or his family during her remarks.

In April, Chauvin was found guilty on three counts, but since all three dealt with the same crime, the 45-year-old was only sentenced for the most serious charge, second-degree murder. That conviction carried a potential prison sentence of up to 40 years, but for first-time offenders, the guidelines call for up to 12 1/2 years or 150 months.

Prosecutors had asked Judge Peter Cahill for 30 years behind bars, while Chauvin’s attorney requested probation. One thing that prompted a longer sentence had to do with aggravating factors. The AP writes:

Cahill last month agreed with prosecutors that aggravating factors in Floyd’s death warrant going higher than the guidelines. The judge found that Chauvin abused his position of authority, treated Floyd with particular cruelty, and that the crime was seen by several children. He also wrote that Chauvin knew the restraint of Floyd was dangerous.

Reaction to the sentence is mixed.

 

Since his trial, Chauvin has been held at Oak Park Heights, a maximum-security prison in Stillwater, Minnesota. He has reportedly spent 23 hours a day in solitary confinement for his own safety.