George Floyd murder trial: Relief at Derek Chauvin conviction a sign of long history of police brutality
22 Apr, 2021 02:31 AM
6 minutes to read
George Floyd murder trial: Jury finds Derek Chauvin guilty of murder. Video / Sky News
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The unprecedented conviction of police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder and manslaughter of George Floyd is testament to the hard work of Black Lives Matter organisers and protesters.
It might seem as though someone who spent nine minutes and 29 seconds pressing his weight through his knee into another man s neck – all captured on video – would be a slam dunk for a conviction. But history shows us otherwise.
The unprecedented conviction of police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder and manslaughter of George Floyd is testament to the hard work of Black Lives Matter organisers and protesters.
It might seem as though someone who spent nine minutes and 29 seconds pressing his weight through his knee into another man’s neck – all captured on video – would be a slam dunk for a conviction. But history shows us otherwise.
Thirty years ago, blurry footage taken with a home camcorder from an apartment balcony showed the world four white police officers beating Rodney King, an African American man on his knees. The police used batons, between 53 and 56 times.