The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

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Students React to Chauvin Trial Verdict

April 20, 2021 will be remembered as a day containing one small but integral step to police reform.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all three charges of third-degree murder, unintentional second-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

These charges come after the death of George Floyd, who was killed by Chauvin after he kneeled on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Communities rejoiced at the verdict all throughout Minneapolis and the rest of the country.

Though this victory was significant, the path to police reform and the demolishment of police brutality is still slowly being paved. According to the New York Times, 1 in 2,000 police officers are charged in deaths by police force or abuse of policing power.

“I hope that [the verdict] sets an example that cops can’t kill people without repercussions, it really shows how much power [police] have,” said Bucks student Tyler Garnier.

“Nothing more satisfying than seeing him hauled off to jail,” said Bucks student Lindsay Binder.

Recognizing Chauvin’s incarceration is essential to combating police brutality, but our communities must stay informed and remind themselves of the injustices that take place in the police force every day.

The Minneapolis police department is currently under investigation for how force is used and more tolerant training will be implemented to aid in stopping these deaths.