Rep. Payne, Jr.’s Statement on the Guilty Verdict in the George Floyd Trial

Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. released the following statement regarding the jury’s guilty verdict on all counts for Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for killing George Floyd on May 25, 2020 after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.

“I think the jury has spoken and it appears justice has been served.  But it doesn’t make me feel excited.  Instead, it makes me angry that another Black man had to die at the hands of the police.  Why does this continue to happen in this country?  Why is it that an African-American man can die because he has loose cigarettes or a counterfeit $20 bill?  If the laws in this country have been broken, then that person should be arrested, brought to court, and tried by a jury of his peers.  But for so many African Americans, it feels like they face their judge, jury and executioner at the scene of the incident.  This country needs to reach its greatness.  But it won’t reach it until it works for everyone.”

Floyd’s death sparked protests across the country and worldwide against police brutality and racial profiling in law enforcement.  In response, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in March.  The bill ends racial profiling in law enforcement, bans chokeholds and “no-knock” warrants, and establishes a federal standard for police conduct to end police brutality, particularly against African Americans.

# # # #