Justice and relief.
That was the message from metro Detroit and Michigan after the jury s guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer who was charged with murder in the death of George Floyd, a Black man.
A flood of reactions, from pastors, police and politicians, expressed sadness, condolences and hope. They offered their views on why America watched the trial so closely and what needs to happen to prevent other tragedies like it. Justice won, said the Rev. Charles Williams II, the pastor of Historic King Solomon Baptist Church of Detroit and the head of the Michigan chapter of the National Action Network, led by Rev. Al Sharpton. We are relieved that Derek Chauvin will have to pay for his crime against a human.
Guilty: Michigan reacts to George Floyd murder trial verdict
Updated Apr 20, 2021;
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Crowds cheered outside the Minnesota courthouse as the judge read the jury’s verdict: guilty, guilty and guilty.
Derek M. Chauvin on Tuesday was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, punishable by up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder, punishable by up to 25 years in prison; and second-degree manslaughter, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
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Chauvin, 45, was handcuffed and walked off to jail as his bond was revoked following the verdict.
The May 25, 2020 police killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, sparked riots, peaceful protests and calls for police reform across Michigan.
Few have faith in the Michigan Legislature’s sexual harassment and discrimination policies. Can that be fixed?
Updated 3:09 PM;
Today 2:46 PM
Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, stands for a portrait in the Lansing Capitol building on Tuesday April, 20, 2021 in Michigan. Nicole Hester/ MLive.comNicole Hester/ MLive.com
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Like other employers around the country, Michigan’s two legislative chambers have anti-harassment and discrimination policies in place aimed at giving the myriad of staff helping the Capitol function a means to report and resolve inappropriate behavior.
But the House and Senate, in many ways, operate differently than an average workplace. The “workplace” might be the Capitol, a lawmaker’s Lansing or district office, a conference, an extracurricular event, a downtown bar. Late nights in close quarters abound on busy session days. There’s frequent interaction between staff and people outside the purview of the House and Senate business off
Michigan reacts to guilty verdicts of former officer Derek Chauvin trial: Justice won msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
7:10 p.m.: George Floyd
Demonstrators concluded the evening by chanting George Floyd s name.
Gov. Whitmer: Legacy will live on
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the verdict brought justice, but it doesn t overcome the loss to Floyd s family and to other families who ve faced similar losses. No verdict can bring George back, but his legacy will live on, Whitmer said in a statement. Last year, millions of people around the world spoke with a collective voice when we said Black Lives Matter. Together, we will continue tackling the deep-rooted, structural racism and inequity present in our institutions and faced by Black Americans every day. Our work is just getting started.