Derek Chauvin has been ‘placed on suicide watch’ following his murder conviction
Derek Chauvin’s trial concluded with the ruling that he did indeed murder George Floyd in the second and third-degree murder, as well as being sentenced with second-degree manslaughter charges. He faces up to 40 years in prison if served concurrently, and up to 75 years if served consecutively, though Minnesota (the state he is being tried in) guidelines suggest around 15 years.
The former Minneapolis police officer is being held in Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights and it is being reported that he has is being kept away from other prisoners in what’s described as ‘administrative segregation’. Essentially, this is deployed when an inmate is either endangered by other inmates or a danger to themselves.
According to authorities, this is standard procedure when it is deemed “someone’s presence in the general population is a safety concern”. Given his law enforcement background, Chauvin could be targeted by other inmates, with the racial nature of his crime also being a significant factor. As such, he is being closely watched by prison guards to ensure his safety.
Chauvin was initially detained in the maximum-security prison following his arrest back in 2020, though the conviction will no doubt have affected circumstances surrounding his safety. The 45-year-old will be officially sentenced in eight weeks time.
His conviction came just a couple of hours before it was reported a 15-year-old Black girl named, Ma’Khia Bryant, was shot and killed in Columbus, Ohio. The police officer drew his firearm as it was believed that Bryant was holding a knife while attacking another young girl in the community.
The Chauvin trial undoubtedly sits as a backdrop to the incident, with the final reading of the jury’s verdict taking place just minutes before the shooting. Following her death and the bodycam footage being released – in which the teenager does appear to be holding a knife – people have taken to the streets throughout the state to further protest police violence.
Hours after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, police in Columbus, Ohio, killed a 16-year-old Black girl. pic.twitter.com/iFgc1Y1tBZ
— AJ+ (@ajplus) April 21, 2021
