Derek Chauvin sentencing: Mother of former police officer defends son as a "good man"

Carolyn Pawlenty, the mother of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been convicted of the murder of George Floyd, spoke Friday on her son's behalf at his sentencing hearing, calling him a "good man."

She said that her son had played the events of May 25, 2020 "over and over in his head," and said she believed a lengthy sentence would "not serve" her son well and "when you sentence my son, you will also be sentencing me."

Pawlenty also spoke directly to her son where he sat, saying that she had "always believed in your innocence" and had read letters from people around the world who "also believed in your innocence."
Prosecutors have asked for Chauvin to receive 30 years in prison, while his defence has requested probation.

On April 20, a jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Video of Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, for more than nine minutes sparked outrage around the world and the largest protest movement seen in the United States in decades.

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