0 for them. >> all right. our coverage also will continue. the breaking news, derek chauvin, former minneapolis police officer has now been sentenced to 22 and a half years for the murder of george floyd. our coverage continues now with jake tapper. this is cnn breaking news. >> welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper, and we start with the breaking news in our national lead. just moments ago we heard former minneapolis police officer derek chauvin's sentence to 22 and a half years in prison for the second-degree murder of george floyd in may 2020. and announcing his sentence, the judge acknowledged the pain of the floyd family and their struggles over the last year. he also said his sentence was based solely on legal facts, not on emotion, not on sympathy, not on public opinion. prosecutors had asked for chauvin to serve at least 30 years, while chauvin's defense team argued that chauvin should get probation or a lighter sentence. chauvin, of course, was convicted on three charges in april, second degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. chauvin, of course, kneeled on the neck of george floyd for more than nine minutes while floyd laid handcuffed in the street. george floyd's tragic final moments were captured on cell phone video. cnn's sara sidner is live for us in minneapolis at the location of floyd's death. and, sara, what was the reaction there as the sentence was announced, 270 months, 22 and a half years? >> reporter: yeah. folks were chanting here george floyd's name. this is a group of people who have been out here for more than a year. you've got a whole host of folks who come out on a daily basis. they meet and talk with one another. but today the 22 and a half years for some wasn't enough. they wanted to see more of a maximum sentence up to 30 years. but it was enough for them to feel that at least there was a punishment that was long enough did not feel like a slap on the wrist. folks out here, and i'll just give you a scene because i know you've seen this many times before on what things look like now here out at the square. it is calm, people are heartened that there is at least more than 20-year sentence in this case. but they were expecting 30 years, which they were chanting early on people were crying hoping for the absolute maximum in this case. but they are -- you know, they're dealing with the fact that this is a police officer they know that often the sentences are very different, they are much lighter, and they at least feel like some sense of justice has been served. and you heard also from the family there. you heard the family asking the judge for the maximum. as well the judge felt that he was following the law, and so he did 270 months, which is 22 and a half years. there is a reaction here, though, to what derek chauvin said. because this is really the first time that people have heard more than a yes or no sort of answer to a question in court when it comes to this case when he said that he, you know, his condolences go to the floyd family and that there is some information that he had that he can't reveal right now because of legal reasons that will help give them some peace. that really struck a nerve here. it upset folks. they thought that was just ridiculous. they didn't know what he was talking about and they didn't really ever feel like he apologized to the family, understanding that there is another trial federally that he will face. likely there may be appeals in this case as well. but that really did not strike people well, some of the would roads that came out of his mouth, jake? >> and, sara, just to follow up on that, i was surprised when derek chauvin said that as well. do we have any idea what he was talking about? >> reporter: only he and maybe his attorney do. it sort of felt like it came out of nowhere to the folks around here. i'm going to try to get in touch with the family as well. i'm sure you'll hear from the floyd family on that. what could you possibly have that would give them any peace, judging from the videos they have all seen over and over and the fact that you were convicted of murdering their brother, their family member in a slow sort of meticulous way. it's got a lot of folks talking around here. >> yeah. and just to be clear, my understanding is that the state guidelines of the judge was following suggested that the sentence for derek chauvin could be anywhere from 12 and a half to 40 years. so the low end would be 12 and a half. the high end would be 40. that's the context of the 22 and a half year sentence. >> yeah. there's a sentencing guideline as well that's actually 12 and a half to 15. and so that's kind of the range in which many people that are convicted of second-degree unintentional murder would likely face because of the sentencing guidelines. the jung has gone more than that but not the absolute maximum in this case. and you'll remember that the prosecutors had asked for 30 years and there was 22 and a half that was handed down. jake? >> all right, sara sidner, thanks so much. we'll come back to you. let's go to cnn's omar jimenez who's live outside the courtroom in minneapolis. and, omar, my understanding is we do expect to hear from the family of george floyd as well as the prosecutors any minute. >> reporter: yeah, jake. so coming up next at some point in the next few minutes we're expecting to hear from minnesota attorney general keith ellison of course who's led the prosecutorial team from this. and then we'll hear from the george floyd family. as you can imagine, a pretty intense reaction once that sentence actually came down, including from people who were part of an unfortunate fraternity. i noted in particular justin blake who's the uncle of jacob blake you remember was shot in kenosha, wisconsin. your nephew wasn't killed in that case thankfully. but in this case i saw your reaction when the sentence came down for derek chauvin. why did you react that way, and what do you want the people to know about what this means? >> i just think we're taking small victories at a time. we're building blocks towards the victory that we all want. i think they could have gave him more time personally. but you're in a different state where there's different laws. he gave him double what he should've had and we think they could have gave him a little more. my brother jacob came here to support the floyd family. good, bad, or ugly with the floyd family, the taylor family, the andersons and all. even when we don't get the perfect turnout we get, we got a victory today that a police officer's never been in jail in chicago but they put the first guy away. he only got three years but he was the first. and we show there's a layer of criminalism in there, then they can go after other ones now and get more years on other people. >> bottom line, do you see today as a win? >> bro, i'm taking the day as a win. i'm here to support the floyd family. they're not stellar, they're not throwing stuff in the air, but i promise you tonight the killer of their son, their brother, their loved one is going to jail, not for the time he should be that i think he should or anybody else. but they got some type of victory today. we came here to support them, and anybody supporting the floyd family should be happy for them right now. >> justin, thank you so much for taking the time, justin. i appreciate it. let me -- so as we talk about the sentence moving forward, we'll hear from the attorney general keith ellison. but a lot of what justin said is being reflected here. they felt they wanted more. the 22 and a half years that derek chauvin got was seven and a half years lower than what prosecutors wanted. and you heard the judge cite in his sentencing comments about those aggravating factors that he found were in this, were at the present time -- were present in this the abuse of authority. he filed that 22-page memo. and i should also note that in minnesota the guidelines are when you're sentenced you serve two-thirds of that sentence mandatory, and then for derek chauvin in particular, if he shows good behavior or if he's in good standing he is eligible to serve that final third under supervised release. so when you put that in context, that's a lot of the discussion here trying to make people realize how many years this is actually going to be. and on top of that you have to remember there are two federal cases still pending against derek chauvin. again, different jurisdiction but two of them that'll happen later on that would add to what we've already seen play out at the state level. >> and remind us of the status of these two federal cases. one of them has to do with george floyd. the other one has to do with a separate incident. where are they in the progress of the justice system? >> reporter: that's right. they're still early stages. one of them stems from george floyd, of course, a violation of his civil rights. that one is in conjunction with the other three officers that have been charged at both the state and federal level. and the other is from a 2017 incident where he allegedly hit a teen with a flashlight and allegedly put his knee on that teen's neck. we expect them to play out over the course of the next year or so because, as we know, these take a long time. i should also note that the judge moved that federal case -- or the state case, excuse me, back for the other three officers so the federal case could play out first. they want that to take precedence for the next set of state cases because they believe that'll at least set a standard when it comes to seriousness. >> all right, omar jimenez outside the courtroom, thank you so much. let's discuss this with our panel, cnn's w. kamau bell, former acting baltimore police commissioner joining us. what was your reaction when you hear the sentence for derek chauvin 22 and a half years in prison? >> you know, the criminal justice system is an imperfect tool for justice. i'm happy for george floyd's family that that officer goes to jail for executing george floyd in front of all of us, but we have to think of all the things that had to fall into place for that to happen for him to go to jail. if darnella frazier hadn't been there with her camera, if there hadn't been all those black lives matter pressure and the protests, i believe he'd still be an officer on the streets right now. it doesn't necessarily give me a lot of hope about the future. and also let's remember the criminal justice system, other black men have been killed under suspicious circumstances since george floyd. >> alfie, let me get your reaction. >> it's hard because for every -- there's this saying among a lot of black folks. you take two steps forward and 15 steps back. i think the struggle is i don't know how you call it a victory. i mean, george floyd is still gone. i watched the victim statement of his daughter, and it is still ripping me apart. and so the struggle is really, i do want to listen to jacob blake's family member who talked about we should be not rejoicing but we should be, i don't know, glad about the progress. but at the same time it is such a struggle. and emotionally it's such a rollercoaster for people to have to go through this day after day, week after week. it just feels like it's never ending. so my struggle is really how do we wrestle with this emotionally and how do i sit with it knowing that this man is not coming back. but i am glad that derek chauvin is going to prison. >> anthony barksdale? >> not happy with the sentence. i thought it would be heavier. i don't think that it gives the message to law enforcement that i was hoping for. i do think that the doj being involved is more hopeful, in my opinion. but this is a message to politicians who have law enforcement under them to check their shops, be sure that these cops are being trained and that this type of behavior is not tolerated in policing. >> elie honig joins us as well. elie, the judge of course had leeway to sentence chauvin up to 40 years. state guidelines laid out a sentence starting at 12 and a half. prosecutors wanted 30. the defense wanted probation. what's your take? >> jake, the criminal justice system is inherently imperfect, and that's particularly the case with a murder. a life has been taken. there's nothing that can ever be done to fully restore the family. all things considered, look, this is a lot of time. i mean, 22 and a half years, it will be 15 years as a practical matter. i would never be glib about any time that anyone has to spend in prison. that said, i believe the sentence was light, the judge would've been within his legal rights if even one aggravating factor had been found to double the 15-year sentence. the judge did not do that. he went up significantly but he did not go up to 30 years. and i think as a result derek chauvin got off fairly -- i'm not going to say 22 and a half years is light, but i think overall the sentence could've been higher. but, remember, he does still have those two federal indictments pending so that could add to his time as well. >> what do you make of some of the comments we heard in the courtroom before the sentence came down? we heard derek chauvin's mother talking about how proud she was of him. we heard from the daughter of george floyd and heart-wrenching video testimony. do you think any of that had any impact on the judge? >> i would imagine that the judge had made his decision before all that happened. i don't know that elie can talk to this more -- >> i'm sorry for interrupting, but i want to go to minnesota attorney general keith ellison who's speaking right now. >> fellow police officers in the world. my hope is that he takes the time to learn something about the man whose life he took and about the movement that rolls up to call for justice in the wake of george floyd's torture and death. today is also an important moment for our country. the outcome of this case is critically important. but by itself, it's not enough. my hope for our country is that this moment gives us pause and allows us to rededicate ourselves to the real societal change that will move us much further along the road to justice. i'm not talking about the kind of change that takes decades. i'm talking about real change, concrete change that real people can do now. i'm talking to lawmakers. at this historic moment, there is so much legislation around the country in city councils, county boards, state legislatures and congress that is still waiting to be passed. if these bills were passed, they would make the deaths at the hands of law enforcement officers less likely, would improve police community relations, would restore trust and therefore cooperation, improve the lives of officers who want to protect and serve and make everyone safer. every one of these bills at every level of government is critical for helping our families, our law enforcement officers, communities, and the country heal. above all, congress has still not passed the george floyd justice and policing act. i call on leaders and members of congress to pass the best and strongest version of this bill that can be passed and to pass it now. president biden called on the congress to pass this bill. it must be passed. lives are depending upon it. it's just that simple. i'm speaking now to law enforcement leaders. at this historic moment, law enforcement leaders are in a position to finally put in place policy, training, mechanisms, and accountability that can build a police department that people can really trust and rely on. and the elected leaders that they answer to must support and empower these law enforcement leaders to do it. where there is distrust between community and police, there is less cooperation between community and police. and at a moment where violent crime is spiking across the nation in major cities, we simply cannot afford the distrust. the schism leaves us all a little less safe. but trust and cooperation must be earned. you cannot clean a dirty wound by bringing accountability in law enforcement you actually promote public safety. i say to those law enforcement leaders, make no mistake, this is something your officers are asking for. in the aftermath of george floyd's death, 14 minneapolis police department officers signed an open letter condemning derek chauvin's actions and embracing the call for reform and change. these 14 officers don't only speak for themselves. they speak for hundreds across the country. these officers and ones like them want you to support officers who treat everyone with dignity and respect. they want you to support officers who are taking risk to speak up and demand that we do better. they want you to hold their colleagues accountable who refuse to serve communities with dignity and respect. why do officers want accountability? well, think of the 9-year-old girl wearing a t-shirt that said "love" across the front who witnessed george floyd's murder and how she will feel 20 years from now as she may be speaking to her own children about whether to trust law enforcement. the damage that derek floyd's crime inflicted upon the reputation of officers is undermining the ability for people to trust. and that is very tragic. it's not fair to judge all police officers by derek chauvin's actions. but some people inevitably will generalize unless there is true accountability. you just can't heal a dirty wound. and when there's little trust, sadly, there's little safety. when law enforcement leaders take clear steps to build in accountability and prioritize wellness for their officers, they will have the officers' respect, trust between officers and the people. they are dedicated to protecting and serving. let me speak to prosecutors. we believe and we state and declare that no one is above the law and no one is beneath it. a police officer's not above the law, and george floyd certainly is not beneath the law. when after a thorough review prosecutors believe that they have probable cause that anyone including someone operating with the authority of law and law enforcement has violated the law, our prosecutors must be vigorous, visible, and swift. i am speaking to community now. we need every community member to continue the call for real reform and meaningful change. peacefully, constructively, but clearly. this is a moment for change, and your call for it is making it happen. this means everyone who wants to live in a society with dignity and respect as core values, everyone who wants to be safe in their homes and on the street, everyone who wants to get the help that they need, everyone who wants their loved ones to get home safely. this is what we need to do. what will happen if we don't do it? we will slip deeper into a century-long cycle of inaction. we can and we must make another choice, the choice to break the old paradigm and end the cycle of inaction, the choice to act for accountability and justice, the choice to transform ourselves and our country for the sake of all the lives that have been lost, for the sake of the terrible sacrifices that too many families like the floyds have had to make, and for the sake of many officers who strive to perform with high standards and for the sake of the community, time is up, it's time to act, we're counting on you, we're counting on each other. finally, i want to thank this extraordinary team of prosecutors. it has been my deepest honor to work with you. you all are the best. and i'm honored to be your colleague. i want to send another strong signal of love and friendship to the floyd family who have done so much to uphold the dignity of our community. i want to thank the hennepin county attorneys office and mike freeman who have been side by side with us and have done such a good job and we appreciate their work. and i want to thank the witnesses who courageously stepped forward for george floyd on may 25th at risk to themse