DEREK Chauvin's conviction for the death of George Floyd has been described as a "tragedy" by a former Minneapolis cop who quit the force days before the verdict was delivered.
The officer, speaking on grounds of anonymity, told Insider the jury "got it wrong" by convicting Chauvin of second and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, on Tuesday.
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The anonymous cop – who worked for Minneapolis PD for three decades before quitting less than 24 hours before the verdict was read out – said the ruling was "not at all" what he was expecting.
"The jury got it wrong, I believe. But you gotta respect their decision," the former officer said.
Chauvin is now facing a maximum sentence of up to 75 years behind bars in the death of Floyd, who died gasping for air under his knee for nearly 10 minutes on May 25, 2020.
The fatal arrest unfolded after Floyd was accused of attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.
He's currently being detained in Minnesota's only Level 5 maximum-security facility where he's being kept in isolation over fears for his safety.
Since the guilty-of-all-counts verdict was unveiled on Tuesday afternoon, the former colleague of Chauvin's told Insider he's been speaking with other cops who've also expressed their disappointment over the trial's outcome.
"They all believe that Derek didn't stand a chance at a fair trial," he said.
One of the coworkers described Chauvin as a "sacrificial lamb", and others were shocked about how quickly the jury came to their decision – having deliberated for just over 10 hours.
"When they came back that quick, I knew he was screwed. I knew it," the officer said.
"I've never seen, in all my years of work, a jury come back that quick on such serious charges. Never."
The cop told the outlet he feels as though the jury was under " tremendous pressure to 'make it right' for George Floyd."
He also expressed relief that he has now left policing, as he thinks the Chauvin ruling may spark a "new trend" of sending officers to prison in the future.
"The whole thing is a tragedy," he said. "George Floyd dying is a tragedy for sure. What happened to Chauvin's family and his wife is horrible," he added, referencing their divorce which was finalized in February.
"The whole thing is just sad. It's really upsetting to me," the former officer told Insider. "It's a lose-lose deal for everybody."
Three other cops involved in the arrest of Floyd – Tou Thao, Thomas K. Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng – all face trial in August.
They are each charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence.
His face concealed by a facemask, Chauvin showed very little emotion when his guilty verdict was read out in court on Tuesday.
He nodded towards the judge before placing his arms behind his back to be handcuffed and walked out of the room.
Chauvin is now being detained at a Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights, while he awaits his sentencing hearing which is set for June 16.
The disgraced former Minneapolis police officer has been placed in an isolated wing of the prison over fears for his safety, a spokesperson for the state prison system said.
He has also been placed on suicide watch.
Until his sentencing, Chauvin will be kept alone in his cell for all but one hour of the day, during which he will be allowed to exercise outside.
However, he will still be kept away from all other inmates during that recreational hour and remain under the close watch of prison guards inside the unit.
The isolated wing where Chauvin is being kept, which is also known as the Administrative Control Unit, is typically used to house inmates who are being punished.
The cells are cramped and contain only a padded bench, a combination toilet and sink, and a small shower.
Prisoners are allowed to bring in necessities like clothing, toothpaste, and soap, as well as a pen and paper, the New York Times reported.
They may also be permitted to receive books and magazines in some circumstances, though that must first be approved by prison officials.
The cells are also monitored by surveillance cameras 24-hours a day, and guards check in on prisoners every 30 minutes to assess their welfare.
For inmates who are sick or considered a suicide risk, those checks are often carried out far more frequently, with lights sometimes kept on around the clock in their cells.
On Wednesday, Chauvin's first mugshot as a convicted murderer was released.
The former cop looked disheveled as he vacantly stared towards to camera, sporting an orange jumpsuit.
President Joe Biden celebrated Chauvin's conviction on Tuesday, pledging the US now needed to deliver "real change" for black Americans.
This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America," Biden said during a press conference at the White House.
But he said the guilty verdict is "too rare" and "not enough".
"It was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off the whole world to see," Biden said.
"Systemic racism is a stain on our nation’s soul."
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