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On Tuesday afternoon, a Hennepin County, Minn. jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of three charges, including the unintentional second-degree murder of George Floyd.
The original incident happened on May 25, 2020 when Floyd was arrested due to the suspected use of counterfeit money at a convenience store. And while Floyd was handcuffed in custody, Chauvin placed his knee on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds while three other police officers helped restrain him or were complicit. A smartphone video of the incident went viral, sparking protests throughout the United States and the world.
It has also sparked a major movement among NBA and WNBA players. including those on the Washington Wizards and Mystics to promote racial equality and the end of police brutality.
This is justice.
— Natasha Cloud (@T_Cloud4) April 20, 2021
Guilty af
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) April 20, 2021
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”#Romans8:18 Thank You Jesus . #GeorgeFloydTrial
— Tina Charles (@tinacharles31) April 20, 2021
https://t.co/BfhUOXNOsX pic.twitter.com/kRtMu3SuPR
— DG (@Dan_G33) April 21, 2021
Justice.
— Thomas Bryant (@nolimittb31) April 20, 2021
#BlackLivesMatter #JusticeHasBeenServed #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd
— Alysha Clark (@Alysha_Clark) April 20, 2021
I hate that we have to celebrate something like this but justice isn’t something we are used to in this country
— Jordan Bell (@1jordanbell) April 20, 2021
Myisha Hines-Allen's reaction to the news yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ZHB5TB9tF0
— BF_Mystics (@BF_mystics) April 21, 2021
Justice finally being served! A major step but a lot more work to do. We need to stay focused on the daily objective of finding equality and opportunities for all of America. Stay vigilant, stay proactive, recognize every chance to call out the inequities that shouldn’t exist.
— Mike Thibault (@coachthibault) April 20, 2021
Justice.
— Emma Meesseman (@EmmaMeesseman) April 20, 2021
Monumental Sports and Entertainment also issued a statement, which was also tweeted by the teams.
Statement from Monumental Sports & Entertainment: pic.twitter.com/aYFerxWZMS
— Monumental Sports & Entertainment (@MSE) April 20, 2021
The NBA, WNBA and player unions have also released statements:
NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following joint statement today: pic.twitter.com/r0XQkLssOb
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2021
The following was released by the WNBA. pic.twitter.com/KWF4mkr6mf
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 20, 2021
Yes, Gianna Floyd, your Dad has changed the world.#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/cbLC1gtVjB
— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) April 20, 2021
While nothing can bring Floyd back, the verdict is the right one. And as many of the players and the leagues have noted, there is still a lot of work to do.