Former American police officer Derek Chauvin has appealed the prison sentence handed down to him for the murder of Black American George Floyd in 2020, according to court documents released on Thursday. Chauvin, who was sentenced in June to over 22 years in prison for killing Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, filed the appeal late Thursday night before a Minnesota district court, on the last day he was able to do so. He accuses the state of biased conduct and lists several issues with the jury selected for the trial, among other objections. The jury's decision on April 20 was met with widespread relief across the country, which had feared protests if Chauvin were released after the hearings.
On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Chauvin attempted to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes, pinning him to the ground with three of his colleagues while Floyd was handcuffed, and then kneeling on his neck. The officer remained in that position for almost ten minutes, ignoring Floyd's groans and the pleas of shocked bystanders, even after the 40-year-old lost consciousness. A video of the scene filmed by a young girl quickly went viral and sparked massive protests around the world. Chauvin has consistently claimed he followed police protocols to control a suspect who refused to comply. The legal proceedings did not end with Chauvin's trial, as his three colleagues are set to be tried in March 2022 on charges of "aiding and abetting murder" in a Minnesota court.
