UPDATE: This article has been updated from its initial publishing with more community comments.

The decision by a Minneapolis jury to convict former police officer Derek Chauvin on murder and manslaughter charges was praised by leaders in North Carolina and within the Orange County community.

Chauvin, who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes last May and whose actions touched off months of international outrage, was found guilty on second degree murder and third degree murder charges.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper shared his thoughts in a tweet, saying he appreciated the jury’s days-long work for “justice.”

Shortly after the verdict, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Provost Bob Blouin shared a message to the university community, calling the last year “one of the most difficult in our nation’s recent history.”

“Though the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin forced everyone to relive George Floyd’s tragic killing, similar events that transpired prior to May 25, 2020, and into this week have forced us to, again, contemplate the unyielding pain and suffering faced by African American and Black people in our country,” said university leadership.

Guskiewicz also wrote to alert the UNC community of upcoming events and various resources where students can share their emotions regarding the murder trial and racial injustice.

On Wednesday, Chief of the UNC Police Department David Perry shared his own statement.

Other Orange County leaders also spoke out on social media Tuesday evening.

Chapel Hill Town Council member Allen Buansi shared his thoughts, saying that Tuesday brought justice for George Floyd even though “we can’t have his life back.” Fellow council members Tai Huynh and Michael Parker retweeting the sentiment.

Hillsborough Mayor Jenn Weaver and Carrboro Town Council member Barbara Foushee and also shared their thoughts on Twitter, with Weaver saying that our breath “is so precious. George Floyd should still have his.”

Chapel Hill Town Council member Michael Parker highlighted that there is still work to be done, retweeting a notion that history might have been different without the social media video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck.

 

Featured image via pool video and C-SPAN

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