US ex-cop Chauvin to be sentenced June 16 for George Floyd murder

US ex-cop Chauvin to be sentenced June 16 for George Floyd murder
Derek Chauvin’s sentencing has been set for 16 June, after he was found guilty of murder.
2 min read
Chauvin is facing up to 40 years in prison [Getty]
Sacked US police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on 16 June for the murder of African American George Floyd in a case that sparked nationwide anti-racism protests.

The Hennepin County District Court in the Midwestern city of Minneapolis, where handcuffed Floyd died last May, said in its online schedule that the white ex-cop will be sentenced at 1:30 pm (1830 GMT).

The ex-officer -- who knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes -- faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of all charges Tuesday over the death of the unarmed man.

The crime was recorded by a bystander whose video shocked the world, triggering mass protests across the United States and beyond, while also prompting a national reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality.

Last year's killing of Floyd as he lay face down and handcuffed saying repeatedly "I can't breathe" has prompted some police reforms, but advocates including President Joe Biden say more is needed.

While the Chauvin trial progressed in Minneapolis, the city was rocked by the fatal police shooting of yet another African American, 20-year-old Daunte Wright.

Read more: Derek Chauvin's conviction is not a moment of 'racial progress'

On Wednesday US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department systematically uses excessive force and "engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing," including during legal protests.

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