ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING DEREK CHAUVIN SENTENCING

Chicago  — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement in response to the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.

“George Floyd’s murder served as a reckoning for the nation and a catalyst that forced each of us to ask ourselves whether we have done enough to fight racism and inequality in our criminal justice system. While today’s sentencing does not mark the end of the fight for justice and accountability for all officers involved in the murder of George Floyd, it is a major step along the way.

“I commend my colleague, Keith Ellison, for his office’s prosecution of this case, from pretrial to today’s sentencing. I would also like to acknowledge the officers within the Minneapolis Police Department who did the right thing and provided testimony in this case. I am hopeful that the U.S. Department of Justice’s pattern-and-practice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department will reveal the systemic problems that allowed George Floyd’s murder to happen in the first place.

“True justice is served only when we address the systemic causes of police misconduct that resulted in George Floyd’s murder. True justice is preventing the future loss of lives in Black and brown communities at the hands of police. I am committed to doing my part, and to that end, I will continue to collaborate with community leaders, advocates and law enforcement agencies to enact policies that facilitate constitutional policing and hopefully prevent future tragedies.”