Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter over the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, who was Black, died after Chauvin, who is white, knelt on the back of his neck for over nine minutes. Chauvin did this as part of an arrest that was prompted by allegations that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill.
Video footage of Floyd’s death went viral leading to mass and prolonged demonstrations across the United States and beyond. Demonstrators pointed to the incident as one of many examples of police violence against the Black community and as a symbol of anti-Black racism that exists throughout all levels of American society.