more than 9 minutes before his death sparked a global wave of protests against racial injustice and police brutality the jury considered 3 weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses convicting him of 2nd degree unintentional murder 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter well this is the moment the judge peter cahill read out the verdict to the court room we the jury in the above entitled matter as to count one unintentional 2nd degree murder while committing a felony by the defendant guilty verdict agreed to this 20th day of april 2021 at 1 44 pm signed your foreperson juror number 19. same captioned verdict count 2 we the jury in the above until matter as to count 2 3rd degree murder perpetrating an eminently dangerous act find the defendant guilty verdict agreed to this 20 if they have april 2021 and 1 45 pm signed by jury foreperson journal or 19 same caption count 3 we the jury in the above entitled matter as to count 3 2nd degree manslaughter culpable negligence creating an unreasonable risk by the defendant guilty verdict greed to this 20th day of april 2021 now 1 45 pm the moment when there are over and found out that he had been found guilty on all 3 charges by the jury well let's go to mary frances berry a professor of american thought and history at the university of pennsylvania and also the former chair of the u.s. commission on civil rights madame thank you so much for joining us here again allowed jazeera just a few minutes ago we heard from keith ellison the attorney general of minnesota he mentioned how accountability was a 1st step towards a justice and then he really praised the civic duty of the people who stopped to see what was happening to george floyd and fail while what was happening now obviously that proved to be key evidence during the trial but how important do you think it was that those images that video actually went around the world long before the jury looked that in actually caused protests almost a straightaway starting in minneapolis and then of course branching out to the rest of the country and the world. absolutely the context for the actual prosecution show. was the video they social media and the fact that we have social media and you can see things around the world and then we have protests everywhere even though there's a pandemic in the middle of it everywhere it became we got it to a point where west minnesota absolutely had to prosecute seriously and it had to bring all the resources that it had available to lead they didn't just do it because they thought it was a nice idea to have a good great plus prosecution they had the videos they had we've had body cameras and other cases and it didn't make any any difference and so they put everything they had into look because the context was that the whole world had seen what happened and they had been protests reverberation around the world and so this was someone they had to win and in fact keith allison gave a beautiful summary of the whole playing but those will only be words unless we recognize that it took a public reaction around the world to make this an fact these steps take place and there's another thing we should remember somebody in the crowd outside was saying that we want justice not just for this incident and also what happened to jewish law and what about all the other folks that we're still waiting for and the system also someone said you know there were were there just you know bad apples but we had those other police officers even in this case and the sad thing and the worse something isn't one of the police officers the one that 1st encountered jaunts lloyd was a new trainee a new recruit he was the new generation of police officers who put his gun in his face and head to. first encounters so you get the old order to show him and then you get the new order with this young guy sold at the police department and keith ellison his attorney general and the local people in the middle of minneapolis they all have a lot of work to do and people around the country do to reform their police departments and i'm a fashion mary apologies again i'm going to have to interrupt you let's just go to a news conference with the judge floyd's brother lawyer and al sharpton as well let's listen when ben crump call. we remembered how aragon said i can bring the levantine. his mother came with us to the side of the family came in and his family has stood together for the last 11 months watching this video go over and over and over again this family stood with pain suffering and not knowing what the future held because so many families went and got nothing then thank god when they got the indictment which would not have happened. had not the attorney general keith ellison took his gear. and keith ellison ford and put together a team that made this possible and this is the 1st time in the history of distaste that a white police officer has been convicted on less known convicted of a murder. this is the 1st time in a long reign of fights that we've seen 3 counts guilty at all 3. we don't find pleasure in this we don't celebrate a man going to jail we would have rather the george be alive. but we celebrate that we because young people white and black sun castigated many that he had a night march in kept watch and kept going many of them looked down on but they kept marching and wouldn't let this die and this is an assurance to them that if we don't give up that we can win some rounds but the war and the fight is not oh just 2 days from now we're going to have to deal with the funeral of dante right in is saying county just same area we still have cases to fight but this gives us the energy to fight on and we undetermined that we go fight until we make federal law george florida and justice and police and yes. we want to thank. all that we're involved especially an attorney general and the governor and ugs we want to thank president biden who the 1st time he came out of his house during the campaign he flew to you. and met with the family and attorney crump an hour and he sat down and i will never forget he said he said to. george's daughter and i heard you say your father is going to change the world well we can now tell john just daughter she was right paul father has began the changing of the world for real but before we do anything we 1st want to frame and bang his lawyer yes because somehow god made a way he had mercy and we believe in a god that can even get through the cracks in a jury room and bring consciousness and bring truth and that jury we want to thank them for letting god give them the strength wherever they are tonight we want them to know we broke down in tears when we heard the verdict we had to hold each other and hug and tears because too many nights we've cried many of us for decades the nights in jail but today we can wipe out tears away and fight off another day there's sunlight we're going to keep going to we bring it for the aragon does and the briana tales boyfriend is the night it walker kid walking. shot on how many guys did not get good night this night is for them let us pray. yes lock arms and for a night we can folks. come over and west alone. come on you and rodney come over and know you had now. got a. little bit chris in the next attorney general there live for us. dear god we thank you for giving us the strength to stand together sometimes we would question each other sometimes we say this is just going to be a waste of time when somehow you touches in the midnight out this is empty just to hold on and if we would be faithful over a few things you'd give us the victory over many we thank you because we know it was not in the doing of ours but your loving kindness and your tender mercies it made tonight possible bless those that worked that made this prosecution something they couldn't deny plus those policemen they got on the stand and testified against another policeman plus the jury didn't listen to the evidence and didn't listen to those that may criticize them for doing this less the prosecutor key valis and yes and his staff yes a lot it did their job even though they didn't know what the outcome would be blessed been caught up in a special way that worked tirelessly that jumped on planes and left his family to make sure their justice would rain down thank you for all of the civil and human rights leaders that stood up and we thank you for the nameless grandmas and grandpas they will get on dead knees and ask you. to give us a victory this time and lot as we give you the tanks and give you the praise let george know it is name has gone down in history they may have put india on his neck but he will now be afraid that we will take the knees off on debts now and we give you praise thank you and god we give you glory these blessings we ask in your name amen amen. amen. let me say that i want to bring on now a man who has symbolized the fight for justice he didn't seek the world but he rose to the occasion america for many years didn't have someone to stand for us the last 4 years we didn't have an attorney general's office that would even hear i'll cry but we had. been raised to believe that god always has a ram in the bush and god has a way of taking the most omble of people and raising numbers up we had an attorney general in black america that has represented these cases when the accu men and skill of one was raised in the south but came to claim this nation in a new direction bring you the attorney general for black america then come. on. thank you reverend al sharpton not only for your meant to share not only for being a great civil rights leader but for being a more authority and especially making sure no matter what happened that we always maintained the moral high ground knowing that we were on the right side of history as we fought for justice for george perry florida jr saying his name was. i am 1 but a member of a great team of very talented attorneys and i'm going to listen to hear yeah we got omegas in the cap and reverend jackson is better than half was it yesterday. i want to acknowledge these great group of lawyers and then the family members. 2 or 3 of the lawyers will address you and then at that time we were hear from the family members before we take any of your questions. i want to acknowledge. 1 a great lawyer from chicago illinois one of the best i've ever had a chance to work with of attorney tony rama new chick. i want to recognize my partner on the front line in this case where the best lawyer has been own and he hails from atlanta georgia attorney chris stewart. his law partner attorney just a miller. attorney marilyn simmons. aggrey am a solo lawyer has attorney jeff stone. name a share good girl. who asked me guy here it is about here. we have attorney scott masterson who is not present as a turnip avani said michel we got mr is. just a great group of lawyers. and i want to let you know who we have present here with the family here many apis for this historic day we have a george florence brothers we have from lowness flaws we have rodney flawed we have. brandon williams who's george floyd's nephew was more like a son to him they called back in the 3rd war the. blue moon. we have a key to florence for lotuses wife we have oh i dare say no no yes. we got turns far. his sisters who are not with us but we should absolutely acknowledge bridget florida who hails from north carolina his sisters natalia and jaja who hail from houston texas we have his cousins sure rita mcgee teacher mcgee and tamar brown and we have. the mother of his daughter gianni we have rights to washington and we have janet. and so. i'll make some brief remarks and be we're going to have attorney stuart all. act angela was in paris 2. and working 7 2 days. in a month for our family i know it's a big program on. a day. many came to minneapolis way. and that there. so i make some brief remarks and then we've got to have a turn to student attorney rama new to make some brief remarks and then we're going to hear from this family. and we're going to try to leave here today knowing that america is a better country here. america less paused for a moment. to proclaim this historical moment not just for the legacy of george flowing but for the legacy of america. the legacy of trying to make america for all americans so that george flaws dicta re and america's quest for equal justice under the law will be intertwined america let's frame this moment as a moment where we finally are getting close to living up to our declaration of independence that we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equally that they're and by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among still man life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness well america that means all of us that means black people that means hispanic people that means native people that means asian people that means all of us america we framed this moment for all of us not jasper george ploy this is a big 3 for dollars who championed humanity oh inhumanity dowson who championed justice oh big injustice dolls who chappie more rows over it morality america less lean into this moment and less make sure there are now that this moment will be documented for our children yet unborn. as they continue on the journey to justice knowing that the blood of george flawless. will give them a trail to found a way into a better america a more just america a more just america where brown and taylor gets an opportunity to sleep in peace at night without 1 the police bust into her front door a more just america. where mahabharat gets to run free ob and not be lynched for jogging while black. a more just america where jacob blake and i had to mclean and walter scott and the kwame donald and all these other black men terence correction who was shot in the back while running away like dante wright was just a week ago the cost of some reason black mirror running away from the police is more dangerous then young white men who commit mass murders and while towards dippin least wolf an assault weapon ribbon brat like rittenhouse it could know she wisconsin why america let this be the president. let this be the president where we live up to the how deals in the promises when we say liberty and justice for all no sun kiss children are included and all those children who overcame slavery the middle passage the dress got decision cles it be ferguson jim crow and his much smarter wows as jim crow jr esquire. let this be the precedents what we owe because. systematic racism and all precious and that we are a better people and we will leave out children a better world a better world for a song at this time. we were here for. a great lawyer because nobody does does among us always a team effort and we have the lawyers the preachers the civil rights leaders the education leaders that activists this give a big round of applause for the act of the. right people who stayed in the free right the people who came to me but more importantly the people when given the local who was standing up would just let on 48 thank you god. they. still couldn't keep all the way and 2 how the west bank 2 why haven't you 2. example of we. done no way that i have been here yet the old. man. so we love you. with the dough my brother attorney chris stewart. tony you couldn't. get. the 1st. thing. the 1st thing the hatchet when we heard the verdict is that we all teared up. and embraced. so don't confuse these tears thinking that their sorrow. because those were the tears that happened to african-americans when they're pulled over constantly on the side of the road and know they can't get help. those are the tears of the victims that we've seen time and time again be shot in the back choked over loose cigarettes or killed for no reason and justice never comes and. those are the tears that someone will weep tomorrow when they are taken advantage of in an interaction with law enforcement but today the tears are pure joy yes pure joy in pure shock because days like this don't happen the whole world should not have to rally to get justice for one man yes but that's what happened to me this wasn't a city case this wasn't one family's case this was the entire world's case. and justice finally came. but it shouldn't have to be so hard to attain this level of justice in cases like this when we can see with our own eyes the only difference is the color of skin and that's the change that we all want that's about change that's outrageous yes law enforcement have a dangerous job they have to carry a spear and a sward and a shield but all too often african-americans only get the spear or the school. we need more of the shoe do you know. because this is not a case against every officer my life was saved but too low in foresman officers years ago so i will never throw every cop under the bus but we will put more cops in jail when you kill someone for no reason just going to black. and we can find a unifying purpose but tween law enforcement and the african-american community by changes starting with the george foley justice and policing it in a beautifully written below that will help protect the community and self policing . and the main question is will we let politics divide us because that's what happens republican or democrat you're going to stick to your fat unified has been has been saying it as ref has been saying and get this bill passed and save people so that you don't have to blow it up your own cities for situations like this. and if not we'll see you next time when it's time to vote. you've seen what's happened across this country. and we shouldn't have to be so happy when we finally get one but we are in celebration for giana for roxy who has stood strong this entire time for the brothers and sisters for the activists like to me can everybody out here for this entire group and it wouldn't happen without every single one of the all white or black people out there prayer for his family getting love and support and we love all of you all let this be a changing point in america for policing in a positive way and let's unify thank you brother i want you. to turn to tony roma's from chicago illinois. good afternoon everybody has been said my name is tony roman. i'm smiling here today not for myself but really for the entire country and for the world it's watching i know that on behalf of the family and for everyone who's here today that we stand here before you feeling a tremendous amount of joy and eternal hope for me 36 years ago i was a young public defender in cook county reverend jackson i know you know that place very well and that's where i was introduced to the marginalization of black and brown people. and for now this is the 36th year i've seen it come through i really feel that this country has turned a corner. but i'm going to tell you it was a tough corner to turn and it could've been done and i'm going to reach out to you all the process for spreading the message for the strength and wisdom of ben crump . to you reverend al sharpton reverend jackson the attorneys chris justin madeline jeff michelle the bonnie nicolette in all the teams in all the cities in this country the attorney general and their magnificent prosecution team they did it right they they tied up every loose they tied up every loose thread for their jury they let them follow it right through all the days showed them how to prosecute and how to convict and we are so grateful but make no mistake. we are not done the george floyd police thing and reform act must pass the senate and i mean we now know that today police can and will be held accountable for needless death this death never should have happened george should have been alive somewhere with his daughter giana playing on a playground in america right from now on everyone's on notice that police will be held accountable and we will be held accountable to this whole country should be held accountable but police especially i am so thankful to all of you i am hopeful for a greater america for a great great vote of confidence i will tell you that speaker pelosi called us not once today but twice. our speaker is a great leader she is somebody that wants to see this through we have a great president who wants to see this through we have one little hiccup in between let's get this passed the senate yes let's get justice in america but once and for all and forever one last comment i met a young lady yesterday her name was. she said one thing to me that i promised her that i would repeat today. is not part of the of the flight family that she is part of the right family and she said one thing and i promised her i would say it today .

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