AUGUSTA - Today jurors found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford issued the following statement in response to the verdict.
"There must be accountability in this country. Today, the jury affirmed what our nation collectively and painfully saw: a knee on his neck, a cry for his mom, and the murder of George Floyd.
"Today's conviction marks an important day in American history. It is accountability. But it is not justice. Justice would be George Floyd being alive and with us today.
"We must uproot racism and the injustice of Black people being murdered in our neighborhoods and in their homes. We must hold onto the hope that we can and must repair the pain and fear felt by countless Americans.
"My thoughts and sympathies are with George Floyds family during this difficult time. They should have never suffered from this despair.
"We are indebted to Darnella Frazier, the teenager who took out her cell phone. Accountability should not rely on bystanders. But today, her simple act of bravery made an immense impact. It is my hope that Congress and state legislatures will be as brave as she was in the face of injustice and address the inequities that have obstructed justice for far too long. Black lives matter."
Chauvin was convicted on the all counts today: second and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
Contact:
Jenna Howard, 207-214-3185