|
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following
statement in response to the sentencing of former Minneapolis
police officer Derek Chauvin. Judge Peter Cahill sentenced
Chauvin to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.
“George Floyd’s murder served as a reckoning for the nation and
a catalyst that forced each of us to ask ourselves whether we
have done enough to fight racism and inequality in our criminal
justice system. While today’s sentencing does not mark the end
of the fight for justice and accountability for all officers
involved in the murder of George Floyd, it is a major step along
the way.
“I commend my colleague, Keith Ellison, for his office’s
prosecution of this case, from pretrial to today’s sentencing. I
would also like to acknowledge the officers within the
Minneapolis Police Department who did the right thing and
provided testimony in this case. I am hopeful that the U.S.
Department of Justice’s pattern-and-practice investigation into
the Minneapolis Police Department will reveal the systemic
problems that allowed George Floyd’s murder to happen in the
first place.
“True justice is served only when we address the systemic causes
of police misconduct that resulted in George Floyd’s murder.
True justice is preventing the future loss of lives in Black and
brown communities at the hands of police. I am committed to
doing my part, and to that end, I will continue to collaborate
with community leaders, advocates and law enforcement agencies
to enact policies that facilitate constitutional policing and
hopefully prevent future tragedies.”
[Office of Illinois Attorney General]
|
|
