By: Alyssa Wilson

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on Friday for the murder of George Floyd. In April, a jury found Chauvin guilty of third-degree murder, second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.  

RELATED: Derek Chauvin trial juror says ex-cop showed no remorse 

Floyd was killed in May 2020 after officers with the Minneapolis Police Department confronted him for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. The moments Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes were widely circulated on social media due to video recorded by Darnella Frazier.  

RELATED: Darnella Frazier, Teen Who Recorded Murder of George Floyd, Awarded a Pulitzer Prize 

After weeks of witness and expert testimony, the jurors found Chauvin guilty on all counts after one day of deliberation. Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the criminal case, ruled there were four aggravating factors in Floyd’s murders that could lead to a longer sentence for Chauvin.  

According to paperwork filed in the Fourth Judicial District of Hennepin County, Cahill ruled there were aggravating factors in the case that were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, including abuse of power, treating Floyd with particular cruelty, the presence of children, and group participation in a crime.   

Judge Cahill will consider the following aggravating factors when sentencing #DerekChauvin:
✔ Chauvin abused a position of trust & authority
✔ Chauvin treated #GeorgeFloyd with “particular cruelty”
✔ Children were present
✔ The crime had participation from a group@BNCNews

— Alyssa C. Wilson (@acwnews) May 12, 2021

Chauvin and the other three officers involved in Floyd’s death, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao, were also indicted on U.S. civil rights charges. A federal grand jury accused the officers of violating Floyd’s constitutional rights while he was restrained and face down on the pavement as he begged to breathe.  

RELATED: Former officers involved in Floyd murder indicted on US civil rights charges 

The Department of Justice is also considering bringing charges against Chauvin for a 2017 incident. A video allegedly shows Chauvin striking a Black teenager in the head with a flashlight before holding him down with his knee for nearly 17 minutes.  

RELATED: Trial delayed for three former Minneapolis officers involved in George Floyd murder 

While Chauvin is set to be sentenced, the trial of Lane, Kueng and Thao has been postponed to March 7, 2022. They did not testify against Chauvin during his trial.  

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.