'GUILTY!' Across the US, cheers fill city streets after Derek Chauvin is convicted in the death of George Floyd
Christal Hayes, USA TODAY
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The largely peaceful demonstrations came as cities across the country prepared for possible violence that cropped up sporadically in last year's protests after Floyd's death, a landmark incident that sparked a reckoning in the U.S. over racial inequities and police brutality.
Some cities had already activated the National Guard as the Chauvin verdict loomed; others declared states of emergency.
Chauvin, who is white, was found guilty by a jury on all three charges in the death of Floyd, who is Black. He was convicted of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He could face decades in prison at his sentencing in eight weeks; at a minimum as a first offender, he likely faces 12.5 years. His lawyers are likely to appeal the verdict.