In Front of Our Eyes

Former officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd while in police custody. The three other ex-cops involved with the arrest — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — have been charged with two counts each of aiding and abetting and go on trial in March 2022.

Police officers are rarely prosecuted in such cases — and the world is watching. MPR News is bringing listeners updates on these monumental cases, and the consequences they hold for the city and the country. Created in collaboration with American Public Media.

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March 24, 2021 7:54 AM

George Floyd’s life and death

George Floyd’s family and friends say when they saw him take his last breath on video, they were left in tears. They remember him as an athlete, a gentle giant, and as someone who didn’t deserve to be killed. MPR News reporter Riham Feshir brings us a remembrance of George Floyd through the voices of those who knew him, and who watched his televised death in shock.

by Riham Feshir

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June 26, 2021 6:48 AM

Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years for killing George Floyd

After his murder conviction, former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin is sentenced. George Floyd's family members, including his young daughter, Gianna, describe for the judge how Floyd's violent death continues to disrupt their lives.

by Nina Moini

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April 24, 2021 5:00 AM

Chauvin's guilty verdict and the work to be done

Derek Chauvin’s conviction of murder and manslaughter is expected to be only the beginning as activists and George Floyd’s family promise to keep working for change in police departments in Minnesota and beyond. Chauvin’s trial also saw a number of police officers testifying against him.

by Nina Moini, Brandt Williams and Jon Collins

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April 17, 2021 5:00 AM

No testimony from Derek Chauvin; closing arguments set

The murder trial of Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd enters the final stages, with closing arguments set for Monday. The defense rested its case on Thursday after Chauvin said he would not take the stand in his own defense. And the Twin Cities area is rocked by another police killing of a Black man.

by Nina Moini

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April 10, 2021 5:00 AM

Training, use of force and watching from Cup Foods

Prosecution makes the case in Derek Chauvin's murder trial that George Floyd's death had more to do with the officers' weight pressing him to the pavement as he tried to breathe, and not underlying health or drug use issues.

by Nina Moini

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April 3, 2021 5:00 AM

Emotional testimony from remorseful bystanders, top cop says knee restraint 'uncalled for'

Emotion overflowed in the first week of testimony as the court saw video that showed what happened before, during and after George Floyd's death. Bystanders testified that they wanted to do more to save the Minneapolis man. And Derek Chauvin's former Minneapolis police superior said kneeling on a handcuffed, prone person does not fall within training.

by Nina Moini

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March 27, 2021 5:00 AM

The courtroom, the jurors, the community and the start of the trial

A criminal trial carried live breaks tradition as attorneys prepare to deliver opening statements on Monday. Also, a series of healing events aims to help people who continue to experience trauma that some expect will be heightened by exposure to the details of George Floyd’s killing last May.

by Nina Moini

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March 26, 2021 5:00 AM

What the trial over George Floyd’s death means

Before George Floyd was killed, the police killings of other Black men in Minnesota generated public pressure to prosecute the officers. MPR News reporter Jon Collins has covered several of these shootings and their aftermaths. He explains the significance of the current trial over George Floyd’s death.

by Jon Collins

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March 25, 2021 5:00 AM

The shift in how we talk about racism

After George Floyd was killed the world watched, and the world reacted. Part of that reaction was a shift in how some people talk about racism. MPR News reporter Brandt Williams talks with his cousin about the killing of George Floyd, and how its capture on video made it impossible to look the other way.

by Brandt Williams

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March 12, 2021 6:04 PM

Introducing In Front of Our Eyes

In March 2021, the first of the former officers charged in the killing of George Floyd will go on trial in Minnesota. Police officers are rarely prosecuted in such cases—and the world will be watching. MPR News, which has followed this case in detail from the beginning, will bring listeners updates on this monumental case, and the consequences it holds for the city and the country. Created in collaboration with American Public Media.

by Nina Moini

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