Floyd’s Trial – Historical Judgment with Limited Impact – News

Judgment with questionable effect

However, one can doubt whether the verdict will really have a profound effect. Because Floyd’s death was extraordinary in some ways. Although he died during a police operation due to a minor infraction, as thousands of African Americans are every year. But the circumstances of his death were atypical.

For example, he was defenseless, although mostly guns were used. Therefore, the defense could not make credible that Floyd would have posed a danger that would have justified the violent restraint by Chauvin.

There was also a group of eyewitnesses who not only tried to prevent the crime, but also photographed it. So the killing happened in broad daylight and in front of the cameras.

The verdict of guilt was almost inevitable

The facts of disproportionate police violence were so clear that Chauvin’s indictment was almost inevitable. This is why the Public Prosecution office completely refrained from speculating on the motive of the perpetrator. The issue of racism was not mentioned once during the process.

Equally oddly enough, many Minneapolis police officers and superiors incriminated their former colleague. The ranks of men in uniform are usually close to the court.

An exception in many respects

The Black Lives Matter’s drive to celebrate judgment as a forerunner may be understandable. But in many ways, the murder of George Floyd is an exceptional case, albeit one that will go down in the history of the American civil rights movement.