Hours before Ma'Khia Bryant was killed in Ohio and Andrew Brown Jr. was killed in North Carolina, a police officer by the name of Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd last May. Convicted on multiple counts of murder and manslaughter, it is possible for Chauvin to receive a sentence of upwards of 35 years in prison. However, many legal experts felt that he would receive a sentence of less than 20 years because of his lack of prior criminal history. However, new findings may change that line of thinking.
Judge Peter Cahill has found four aggravating factors that could lead to a harsher sentence for former police officer Derek Chauvin. In an order that was recently made public, Cahill noted that Chauvin abused a position of trust and authority and engaged in illegal activity in front of children. He also took into account that Chauvin worked with a group of three or more people to commit a crime and treated Floyd with a "particular cruelty."
Cahill's recently released order comes days after Chauvin and his former colleagues were hit with multiple federal civil rights charges. The federal indictment argues that Chauvin, J.Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao willfully denied aid to Floyd on the day that he died.
"Chauvin held his left knee across George Floyd's neck, and his right knee on Floyd's back and arm, as George Floyd lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting, and kept his knees on Floyd's neck and body even after Floyd became unresponsive," the indictment reads.
"This offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of George Floyd."
Chauvin is slated to return for his sentencing hearing with Cahill on June 25.
Photo Credit: Getty Images