RALEIGH, N.C. - A jury has found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges in the murder of George Floyd.
Chantal Stevens, executive director of the ACLU of North Carolina, issued the following statement:
“Today’s verdict convicting Derek Chauvin of murder is a rare act of police accountability, but it cannot bring George Floyd back. Mr. Floyd’s family and community will forever feel his loss.
“We must recognize that the murder of a Black man by the hands of a police officer was not an isolated incident. Until we address systemic problems that lead to police abuse of power, disparate treatment, and excessive force against Black and Brown communities, what happened in Minneapolis could just as easily happen in Mooresville or Mebane.
“Today’s verdict cannot lull our community into complacency. Instead, we must renew our conviction to create a world where it is unacceptable for police to use violence and harassment to target Black people, something that has happened since slave patrols were created to monitor, control, and oppress Black communities.
“After living through a year of outrage during a pandemic that created so much isolation, we today join a nation mourning Mr. Floyd’s death and with a sustained call for systemic change in the pursuit of justice.
“Today’s verdict offers a glimmer of hope for the future that we can build - one where collective calls for justice bear fruits for a better tomorrow.”