Civil rights attorney Ben Crump celebrates Chauvin verdict

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump celebrated the verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday, hailing it as a moment when the U.S. is “finally getting close” to living up to the words of the Declaration of Independence.

In remarks delivered shortly after Judge Peter Cahill announced Chauvin’s conviction, Crump, surrounded by members of Floyd’s family, said, “Let’s frame this moment as a moment where we finally are getting close to living up to our Declaration of Independence.”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equally, that they’re endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that amongst them are life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he continued.

Chauvin on Tuesday was found guilty of the three criminal counts he was facing: second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder.

The officer was seen in video posted on social media kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes during a May arrest. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Floyd’s death sparked protests in Minneapolis and across the country, igniting a nationwide conversation surrounding police reform and race relations.

Crump on Tuesday hailed the guilty verdict for Chauvin as “a victory for those who champion humanity over inhumanity, those who champion morals over immorality.”

“America, let’s lean in to this moment, and let’s make sure, Rev. Al, that this moment will be documented for our children yet unborn as they continue on the journey to justice, knowing that the blood of George Floyd will give them a trail to find a way to a better America, a more just America,” Crump added.

Last week, Crump announced that he was retained to represent the family of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by police during a traffic stop.

Wright was killed in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on April 11, approximately 10 miles from the courtroom where Chauvin was on trial.