Today, a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges in the murder of George Floyd. It is the first time in Minnesota’s history that a white police officer has been held accountable for killing a Black man.
The following statement can be attributed to Alison Beyea, executive director of the ACLU of Maine:
"George Floyd and his family received some measure of justice today.
"But true justice is George Floyd alive, playing with his daughter, Gianna. True justice is George Floyd alive, taking walks with his fiancée, Courteney. True justice is George Floyd alive, playing basketball with his brother, Philonise.
"While today’s verdict is a step forward in the fight for police accountability and may help heal a grieving community, the systems that allowed a police officer to murder Mr. Floyd remain fully intact. The fight for justice by no means ends with this guilty verdict.
"Honoring the lives of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown and countless other Black lives violently taken at the hands of police means renewing our conviction to create a world where police do not have the power abuse and harass Black communities. This world includes divesting from policing and reinvesting in the Black and brown communities that are harmed by over-policing.
"We will continue fighting with our communities and our allies in Maine and across the country to create this place of true justice."
