Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Tuesday that the conviction of Derek Chauvin did not represent “justice.”
On Tuesday, Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of all three charges brought against him: one count of second-degree murder, one count of third-degree murder, and one count of second-degree manslaughter for the death of George Floyd. Ocasio-Cortez argued that the convictions did not amount to justice.
“This verdict is not justice,” she said in a Tuesday Instagram Live video. “Frankly, I don’t even think we call it full accountability because there are multiple officers that were there. It wasn’t just Derek Chauvin. And I also don’t want this moment to be framed as this system working because it’s not working, and that’s what creates a lot of complexity in this moment.”
CROWD OUTSIDE MINNEAPOLIS COURTROOM CHEERS GUILTY VERDICT IN DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL
The New York representative argued the only way that justice would have been carried out was if the incident hadn’t taken place to begin with.
“Justice is George Floyd going home tonight to be with his family,” the congresswoman added. “Justice is Adam Toledo getting tucked in by his mom tonight.”
‘This is not justice’ @AOC reacts to #chauvinverdict pic.twitter.com/HIhYxPUx3R
— Caity McDuffee (@CaitMcDuffee) April 20, 2021
AOC tells her supporters the Chauvin verdict is not enough
“This is not justice… frankly, I don’t even think we call it full accountability” pic.twitter.com/BOlhWtDjGU
— Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) April 20, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks were similar to those of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who was the lead prosecutor in the case.
“That long, hard, painstaking work has culminated today,” Ellison said on Tuesday. “I will not call today’s verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice, and now the cause of justice is in your hands. And when I say your hands, I mean the hands of the people of the United States.”
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Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died last May after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin was taped placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. Floyd’s death led to months of demonstrations last summer, with many protesting racial inequality and police brutality.
Chauvin, a 45-year-old white man, could now face up to 40 years in prison. The judge announced that his sentencing trial would take place in eight weeks.
