La. governor, mayor react to conviction in George Floyd's murder

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BATON ROUGE - Parish and state officials released statements Tuesday reacting to the conviction of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin.

A jury decided Tuesday to convict Chauvin on three separate counts: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Governor John Bel Edwards called the verdict a "positive step" in seeking justice for George Floyd.

“Today, I am thankful that the criminal justice system dispensed justice to George Floyd’s family and to society.

While today’s verdict will not bring George Floyd back, nor will it erase years of damaging racism and violence, it is a positive step forward that Derek Chauvin was held fully accountable for Floyd’s death.

All people, regardless of the color of their skin, deserve to be treated fairly, equally and with dignity by members of law enforcement. Officers should never resort to excessive force when they are dealing with the public. For that reason, we should all be encouraged that so many career law enforcement officials testified to the criminality of Chauvin’s actions.

I join many Americans and Louisianans in grieving alongside the Floyd family, and I pray this verdict will give them some measure of peace. I also pray that all people in our state and our nation will stand together, learn from one another, reject violence, and embrace neighborly love.”

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome also released a statement reacting to the decision.

"The conviction of Derek Chauvin will never fully repair the damage caused by his unwarranted injustice against George Floyd, but the verdict has exemplified that we can only move forward when we address the mistreatment of marginalized communities at the hands of those sworn to protect them.

Today’s verdict does bring accountability. We must continue to work towards a community dedicated to justice through transparency and accountability. We must continue to close the gap between law enforcement and our community. We must continue to build stronger institutions while building public trust.

My prayer is this is a step towards healing, but most of all a message that all men must be treated equally. It is at this time I ask all of you to join me in offering my continued sympathy and prayers to the family of George Floyd, and to all who have been waiting for justice and closure for far too long."