On Tuesday, former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd after the jury deliberated for about 10 hours. Floyd's death last May set off massive worldwide protests, and prompted a larger discussion about racial justice in the United States.
After the verdict, acting Mayor Kim Janey and Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins addressed the public. Janey welcomed Chauvin's conviction, saying that in this case, the legal system worked — but adding that that the push for reform sparked by Floyd’s death still has a long way to go to be successful. “Our work here in the city of Boston must continue,” Janey said. “While many of us breathe a sigh of relief, George Floyd and countless others are still dead, and the conditions that led to so many senseless killings still exist.”
Rollins, who spoke after Janey, struck a similar note, saying that while Floyd’s death remains horrific to contemplate, her ongoing conversations with law enforcement about criminal-justice reform have left her optimistic about the future. “We are going to transform and reimagine how we create public safety,” she said. “The reforms that we have invested in, to minimize interactions with the police and to heal relationships between law enforcement and the communities they protect and serve, are more urgently needed than ever.”
