Derek Chauvin latest updates – Cop on suicide watch at maximum security prison after George Floyd murder conviction

DEREK Chauvin will be placed on suicide watch in a maximum security prison as he awaits sentencing for the murder of George Floyd.

The 45-year-old former cop faces a maximum sentence of 75 years in jail after he was found guilty of the murder of Floyd on all counts on Tuesday following a three-week trial.

After nearly six hours of closing arguments and rebuttal on Monday, the 12 jurors – seven women and five men – were led away to deliberate.

The judge announced the jury's verdict at just after 4pm local time on Tuesday.

Sentencing is due to take place in eight weeks time, Judge Peter Cahill said.

Chauvin's bail was immediately revoked and he was taken out of the courtroom in cuffs after the verdict was read out.

His face concealed by a face mask and little reaction could be seen from Chauvin but his eyes darted wildly around the room as he was led away.

On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Department of Corrections said Chauvin was taken to a maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights – 25 miles east of Minneapolis.

Oak Park Heights is the state's only Level Five maximum security prison and it is regarded as one of the safest for high-risk offenders.

No one has ever escaped the prison since it opened in 1982 and only one inmate has been killed.

But Chauvin will be considered a suicide risk and he will be closely monitored for his own safety, Daily Mail reports. 

Floyd died last May following an arrest during which Chauvin placed a knee on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”

Caught on video, those tragic final moments led to widespread protests and riots across the US against police brutality and racism.

Read our Derek Chauvin trial live blog for the latest on George Floyd's killing…

  • Jocelyn Cook

    DOJ OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING CHAUVIN CONVICTION

    U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday the Justice Department has launched an investigation into the practices of the Minneapolis Police Department, Fox 11 reported.

    "Yesterday's verdict and the criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis," Attorney General Garland said.

    "Today, I am announcing that the justice department has opened a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis police department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing."

    Federal investigators will look into the department’s "excessive use of force, including during protests, discriminatory conduct, and current accountability mechanisms," Fox 11 reported.

  • Jocelyn Cook

    LEBRON JAMES REACTS TO LAS VEGAS RAIDERS TWEET POSTED THE DAY OF CHAUVIN CONVICTION

    Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James reacted to a tweet posted by the Las Vegas Raiders Twitter account the same day as Derek Chauvin was found guilty of George Floyd's death that read "I CAN BREATHE."

    "This is real???? Nah man this ain’t it at all. The F^%K!!!! ??‍♂️" the athlete wrote on a retweet of the controversial tweet and image.

    The image in the tweet listed the date of the trial verdict underneath. The content was seen as problematic because Floyd told officers “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times while Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, resulting in his death.

  • Jocelyn Cook

    GIRL WHO WITNESSED GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH AND TESTIFIED 'CHANGED THE WORLD,' FAMILY FRIEND SAYS

    Judeah Reynolds, the young girl who witnessed George Floyd's death along with her cousin, "changed the world" that fateful day, Latoya Turk, a family friend who was with Judeah in court, told Good Morning America.

    "I think for the family we absolutely know that if not for Judeah we wouldn’t have been in that position at that time, so if not for Judeah there would have been no walk to the store for snacks and the video," she said.

    "For Judeah, I don’t think she realizes the magnitude that she has changed the world."

  • Jocelyn Cook

    CHILD WHO TESTIFIED IN CHAUVIN TRAIL SPEAKS OUT

    A 10-year-old girl who testified in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin spoke out about his conviction on Wednesday.

    Judeah Reynolds told "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts in an interview, "My mom said that we brought change. My dad said, ‘We won.'"

    Judeah was just nine years old when she asked her older cousin to take her to get snacks in Minneapolis, and they both witnessed the death of George Floyd.

  • Jocelyn Cook

    NEW MUGSHOT OF CONVICTED OFFICER CHAUVIN REVEALED

    A mugshot of convicted officer Derek Chauvin was revealed on Wednesday.

    The image of the former officer was released less than a day after he was found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

    The Minnesota Department of Corrections has releasedDerek Chauvin's new booking photo. Yesterday, Chauvin was convicted of murdering GeorgeFloyd during a May 2020 arrest.Credit: The Minnesota Department of Corrections
  • Luke Kenton

    WHEN WILL CHAUVIN BE SENTENCED?

    It will be another eight weeks before Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill will sentence Derek Chauvin.

    The most serious charge, second-degree murder, carries a maximum penalty of 40 years.

    Third-degree murder carries a maximum penalty of 25 years and second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

    Prosecutors are asking for higher than the minimum sentence, arguing there were aggravating circumstances in the case – including the arrest taking place in front of a nine-year-old child.

    It is unclear whether the judge is likely to impose concurrent (served at the same time) or consecutive (served one after the other) sentences for each count.

  • Jocelyn Cook

    JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO OPEN PROBE INTO POLICE PRACTICES

    The Justice Department will announce a probe into policing practices in Minneapolis after George Floyd's death, according to an AP source.

  • Luke Kenton

    'HE HAD IT A LOT EASIER THAT MY BROTHER'

    One of George Floyd's brothers says he was struck watching Derek Chauvin being taken away in handcuffs.

    "I watched him put his hands behind his back — he had it a lot easier than my brother because my brother's hands were pinned backwards," Philonise Floyd told ABC News

    While awaiting the verdict, he said: "Inside that courtroom I prayed for like 30 minutes – because it took 30 minutes for the jurors and the judge to come out."

    Philonise Floyd said his brother's death "made people realize that people's lives matter."

    "It was about accountability," he said of Chauvin's conviction.

  • Mollie Mansfield

    CHAUVIN IN RESTRICTED HOUSING UNIT

    A department spokesperson confirmed that Chauvin is in a restricted housing unit.

    "Administrative segregation is used when someone’s presence in the general population is a safety concern," the spokesperson said.

  • Mollie Mansfield

    NASCAR DRIVER BAUBBA WALLACE SPEAKS OUT

    Following the verdict, Bubba Wallace released a statement in tribute to George Floyd.

    "Justice served on all counts. Good. Still a ton of work to do," he wrote.

    "Continue to rest peacefully #GeorgeFloyd"

  • Mollie Mansfield

    WITNESS SPEAKS OUT FOLLOWING VERDICT

    Charles McMillian, who broke down in court during the Derek Chauvin trial has spoken out following the verdict.

    "I didn't have a reaction yesterday," McMillian said. "Because I knew they had to charge him yesterday."

    However, McMillian added that he was "surprised" on all three counts against him.

  • Ben Hill

    BIDEN SPEAKS

    “It was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off the whole world to see,” President Joe Biden said.

    “Systemic racism is a stain on our nation’s soul.”

    “This is the time for this country to come together, to unite as Americans,” he added in nationally televised remarks.

    However, the President warned of those who might exploit the raw emotions following the verdict.

    “There are those who will seek to exploit the raw emotions in the moment — agitators and extremists who have no interest in social justice,” he warned.

  • Ben Hill

    VERDICT REVEALED

    Law enforcement in Minneapolis and numerous other US cities had been bracing for violence in the event of a full or partial acquittal of Chauvin.

    Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been working with the Floyd family, released a statement on Tuesday evening, declaring: “Justice has arrived.”

    “GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family,” Crump wrote.

    “This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!”

    George Floyd’s brother Rodney Floyd told MSNBC he was overwhelmed with emotional at the trial’s outcome.

  • Ben Hill

    ‘CAN’T STOP HERE’

    President Joe Biden said the United States must deliver “real change” for black Americans after Derek Chauvin was found guilty.

    Speaking at a press conference in the White House, the President also slammed “agitators” for causing riots after the verdict was announced.

    Biden on Tuesday called the murder conviction of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd a “step forward” but said such a verdict was much too rare in a country plagued by systemic racism.

    “This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America,” Biden said in remarks from the White House.

    But Biden said the guilty verdict is “too rare” and “not enough”.

  • Ben Hill

    CHAUVIN ‘INVOLVED IN FATAL SHOOTING IN 2006’

    Chauvin has reportedly been involved in a series of violent incidents during his time as a cop.

    In 2006, he and five other officers shot and killed a man who stabbed his girlfriend and a friend, CNN reports.

    Two years later, he reportedly shot a man twice after a suspected domestic dispute. The man survived.

    And just three years after that, he was placed on three-day leave, along with four other officers, for his involvement in the non-fatal shooting of an indigenous man, The Daily Beast reports.

  • Ben Hill

    GUNNED DOWN

    A black 16-year-old girl was fatally shot by police as Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict was revealed on Tuesday.

    The teen, named by family as Ma'khia Bryant, was killed by a cop in Ohio moments before Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd.

    Graphic bodycam footage of the shooting was last night released by officials.

    Cops say they were called to the scene by a person who said someone was trying to stab them at 4.32pm, with officers arriving on scene minutes later at 4.44pm

    Video showed two girls arguing before a cop shouted "Get down" and began firing his weapon multiple times at one of them – just seconds after arriving on-scene.

  • Ben Hill

    SUICIDE WATCH

    Derek Chauvin will be placed on suicide watch in a maximum security prison as he awaits sentencing for the murder of George Floyd.

    The 45-year-old former cop faces a maximum sentence of 75 years in jail after he was found guilty of the murder of Floyd on all counts on Tuesday following a three-week trial.

    On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Department of Corrections said Chauvin was taken to a maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights – 25 miles east of Minneapolis.

    Oak Park Heights is the state's only Level Five maximum security prison and it is regarded as one of the safest for high-risk offenders. No one has ever escaped the prison since it opened in 1982 and only one inmate has been killed inside.

    Chauvin will be considered a suicide risk and he will be closely monitored for his own safety.

  • Ben Hill

    FRESH FURY

    Riots broke out in Columbus after a black 16-year-old girl was fatally shot by police as ex-cop Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict was handed down.

    Protesters took to the streets in the city in Ohio just hours after "knife-wielding" teen Ma'Khia Bryant was shot multiple times and killed by police during an argument with another girl.

    The police-involved shooting, which was caught on camera, happened just moments before Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.

    Crowds gathered last night in Columbus and in front of the Ohio Statehouse brandishing signs with Ma'Khia's name on, as well as the words 'Black Lives Matter'.

  • Ben Hill

    'SO RELIEVED'

    Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris have been watching the trial.

    "We're all so relieved," he said, adding, "Guilty on all three counts."

    "It's really important," he added.

    Vice President Kamala Harris, who also made a statement at the White House welcoming the verdict, then spoke of the family's "courage" and "strength."

    "This is a day of justice in America," Harris told Floyd's family over the phone.

  • Ben Hill

    SPOKE WITH FAMILY

    President Biden spoke with the family of George Floyd following Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict.

    Attorney Ben Crump shared a video of the moment the president called to speak with Floyd's family and speak on how some justice is being served.

    "Nothing is going to make it all better," Biden said. "At least God, now there's some justice."

  • Ben Hill

    BIDEN SPEAKS

    “It was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off the whole world to see," President Joe Biden said.

    “Systemic racism is a stain on our nation’s soul.”

    "This is the time for this country to come together, to unite as Americans," he added in nationally televised remarks.

    However, the President warned of those who might exploit the raw emotions following the verdict.

    "There are those who will seek to exploit the raw emotions in the moment — agitators and extremists who have no interest in social justice," he warned.

  • Ben Hill

    VERDICT REVEALED

    Law enforcement in Minneapolis and numerous other US cities had been bracing for violence in the event of a full or partial acquittal of Chauvin.

    Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been working with the Floyd family, released a statement on Tuesday evening, declaring: "Justice has arrived."

    "GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family," Crump wrote.

    "This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!"

    George Floyd's brother Rodney Floyd told MSNBC he was overwhelmed with emotional at the trial's outcome.

  • Ben Hill

    'CAN'T STOP HERE'

    President Joe Biden said the United States must deliver "real change" for black Americans after Derek Chauvin was found guilty.

    Speaking at a press conference in the White House, the President also slammed "agitators" for causing riots after the verdict was announced.

    Biden on Tuesday called the murder conviction of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd a "step forward" but said such a verdict was much too rare in a country plagued by systemic racism.

    "This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America," Biden said in remarks from the White House.

    But Biden said the guilty verdict is "too rare" and "not enough".

  • Alex Winter

    CHAUVIN 'INVOLVED IN FATAL SHOOTING IN 2006'

    Chauvin has reportedly been involved in a series of violent incidents during his time as a cop.

    In 2006, he and five other officers shot and killed a man who stabbed his girlfriend and a friend, CNN reports.

    Two years later, he reportedly shot a man twice after a suspected domestic dispute. The man survived.

    And just three years after that, he was placed on three-day leave, along with four other officers, for his involvement in the non-fatal shooting of an indigenous man, The Daily Beast reports.

    More next.

  • Alex Winter

    18 COMPLAINTS AGAINST KILLER COP

    Since joining the Minneapolis police force in 2001, Chauvin has had 18 complaints filed against him, only two of which were "closed with discipline," CNN reported.

    A database that documents instances of police brutality listed seven complaints against Chauvin that have all been “closed” and resulted in “no discipline."

    Other reports documented his involvement in multiple violent and deadly cases of police abuse.

    More on this next.

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