Brooklyn Residents Rally At George Floyd Statue To Learn Derek Chauvin's Sentence: 'This Is Disrespectful To George Floyd's Life'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Derek Chauvin learned his fate Friday.
The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. It comes the day after a George Floyd statue was vandalized in Brooklyn, renewing calls for action.
In front of a new George Floyd statue in Flatbush Junction, residents rallied together to learn the fate of Derek Chauvin, some 1,200 miles away in Minneapolis.
Chauvin showed no emotion as he was sentenced to 270 months -- 22.5 years -- in prison.
The judge explained why the sentence exceeds Minnesota sentencing guidelines for second degree murder, typically ranging from 10-to-15 years.
"This is based on your abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particular cruelty shown to George Floyd," he said.
The decision came after emotional testimony from Floyd's family, including his brother Philonise Floyd and 7-year-old daughter, Gianna.
"I miss you and I love him," Gianna said in a video.
"I haven't had a real night's sleep because of the nightmares constantly I have of hearing my brother beg and plead for his life," Philonise Floyd said.
Asked by the judge if he had anything to say, Chauvin kept his comments brief.
"I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family. There's gonna be some other information in the future that would be of interest, and I hope things will give you some... some peace of mind. Thank you," he said.
Back in Brooklyn, the consensus at the rally was that Chauvin got off easy.
"This is disrespectful to George Floyd's life. This is disrespectful to Black life. We matter more than this," one speaker said.
"Twenty-two years is a slap in the face, to be honest," Dennis Owusu-Ansah told CBS2's Nick Caloway.
Owusu-Ansah is an artist who was helping restore a brand new George Floyd statue after it was defaced with black spray paint early Thursday morning.
Police released video of the vandals. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.
In Flatbush on Friday night, police officers and members of the community were standing guard, making sure the George Floyd statue stayed safe.
Meanwhile, Chauvin will likely serve 2/3 of his sentence.
CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report.
