Celebrations have broken out around the country after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all charges.
As the jury read the verdict inside the Minneapolis courthouse where the trial was taking place, hundreds of people outside the building were heard cheering when Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree unintentional murder, and third-degree murder.
According to the reports, the loud cheering could be heard inside the Hennepin County courthouse where the jury reached a verdict after ten and a half hours of deliberation spread over two days.
In one clip taken outside the courthouse, the crowd was seen erupting into cheers with people jumping and chanting after someone shouted: “Guilty! Guilty!”
Meanwhile, people across Minneapolis and other major US cities have been seen celebrating Chauvin’s conviction.
In Louisville, Kentucky, a group of people was spotted sharing the news via a megaphone with one man saying: “It’s about damn time. Welcome to America. It’s about time. We’re waiting for this.”
As Shay McAlister of WHAS11 reported, the man, named Neal Robertson, added: “We have to build back up our city too. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Not only with Breonna Taylor, we’ve got a lot of other things we have to do. You know what it is.”
In Washington, D.C. diners at a restaurant were caught on camera cheering and clapping after the verdict was shared on the TV, Mike Valerio of WUSA9 reported.
In New York, crowds have gathered at Barclays Center to await the jury’s decision before sharing their joy after a verdict was reached.
Similar scenes took place across the nation after Chauvin was found guilty on all counts. The former cop is now facing up to 75 years in prison with a minimum sentence of 29 years behind bars if he serves terms for his charges consecutively.
If the judge rules the former cop can serve each term concurrently, however, he faces up to 40 years in prison with a minimum sentence of 12.5 years behind bars.
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