Chauvin Verdict 'Provides Accountability': Newsom, Others React

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the guilty verdict reached Tuesday in the much-watched trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd last year. The jury in the case found that Chauvin guilty on all counts after 10 hours of deliberation.

Newsom weighed in moments after the verdict was announced. "George Floyd would still be alive if he looked like me," Newsom tweeted. "That must change. No conviction can repair the harm done to the Floyd family, but today’s verdict provides accountability.

"Now, we must continue our work to root out the racial injustice that haunts our society," Newsom said.

In a separate statement, the Democratic governor cited a policing reform package that he signed in September of 2020, following Floyd's death.

"We must continue the work of fighting systemic racism and excessive use of force. It’s why I signed some of the nation’s most progressive police reform legislation into law," he said. "I will continue working with community leaders across the state to hear concerns and support peaceful expression.”

The racially diverse jury unanimously found Chauvin guilty Tuesday of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

READ MORE: Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty On All Counts

Law enforcement agencies all over California had prepared for potential unrest as the nation anxiously awaited the verdict in the trial. Last summer, a groundswell of activism swept the nation and the Golden State after Floyd's death on May 31.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi encouraged Americans to watch for the murder trial's verdict. "Today is a solemn day in America," she said.

California legislators and others were quick to respond to the guilty verdicts. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) tweeted that the jury "arrived at the correct conclusions" in Tuesday's verdict.

The University of California system "commended" the jury's verdict. "As the prosecution made abundantly clear, Derek Chauvin grossly and maliciously overstepped his duties as a police officer when he killed George Floyd. The jury confirmed what many of us who watched that horrible video know to be true: Floyd was murdered," university officials said.

"This verdict will not ameliorate the incredible pain and grief the Floyd family are experiencing, or the pain and suffering endured by so many more. It does, at least, reaffirm the principle that no one is above the law, especially not a peace officer trusted with protecting a community’s safety and security," university officials said.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín said that justice had "finally" been delivered. "It is my hope that we can build on this moment and call upon local leaders to act swiftly and meaningfully to build lasting trust between marginalized communities and law enforcement to prevent more senseless violence," Arreguín said. "Years of overpolicing and under-resourcing communities of color have contributed to stark racial disparities in policing and use-of-force incidents. This must end."

Meanwhile, on the southern end of the state, police in Santa Monica urged the city's residents to remain calm and peaceful following the guilty verdict. At least 200 businesses were damaged there during a chaotic afternoon and night of looting stores and fires that badly destroyed some businesses in the downtown area on May 31, 2020.

The department on Tuesday activated its preplanned response by increasing the number of police officers patrolling the city, officials announced. "You will continue to see a strong presence of uniformed police personnel throughout the city," Santa Monica police said.

Leaders in Santa Monica also spoke out on Tuesday.

"This is a very emotional event that will reverberate around the country and world," Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati said Tuesday. "The journey we have gone through with the killing, the world's reaction, and trial, is something we will hold close to our hearts and minds for decades to come. I hope this creates awareness and much-needed resolve in addressing racism."

SEE ALSO:

• Santa Monica Police React: Chauvin Convicted In Floyd Murder
• SMMUSD Superintendent Responds To Chauvin's Guilty Verdict

State Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) thanked the Minneapolis jury for "their service and verdict."

"America has waited for this moment of justice," he tweeted. "Prosecutor Steve Schleicher said it best in his closing argument at trial: 'This wasn’t policing, this was murder,' Mr. Schleicher said. 'The defendant is guilty of all three counts. All of them. And there’s no excuse.'"

Rep. Eric Swalwell (East Bay) tweeted: "I'm thinking of [Floyd's] loved ones. They've had so much taken from them, but today, they received justice. This verdict is a critical step for police accountability—but we still have so much work to do to ensure Black people feel safe in their own communities."

Chauvin's sentencing hearing will take place in eight weeks. He faces a max of 75 years in prison under Minnesota law.

After it was announced that a verdict had been reached, demonstrators quickly congregated outside of the Hennepin County courthouse — where the trial took place — and at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, where Floyd spent his last moments.

"George Perry Floyd Jr. came to Minneapolis to better his life. But ultimately his life will have bettered our city," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry said in a statement.

Patch editor William Bornhoft contributed to this report.

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