Relief, tears and heartfelt emotion flood Center City after Derek Chauvin guilty verdict
CENTER CITY - A verdict the entire world waited to hear. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.
Shortly after the verdict was read, Chauvin was put into handcuffs and led out of the courtroom.
George Floyd Square, in Minneapolis, erupting in cheers, tears and hugs as the guilty verdict was read.
Applause and cheers and raw emotion across Center City in Philadelphia as the guilty verdicts came down from Minnesota Tuesday afternoon.
"In my heart, we all knew he was guilty, but history tells us we don’t get it. We don’t get the justice. But, to have him guilty on all three counts – it’s breathtaking," stated Dorothy Rex emotionally.
A heavy police presence and Pennsylvania National Guard troops were mobilized as a precaution. Center City was very quiet and peaceful, a far cry from last summer’s looting and rioting after the murder of George Floyd. Tuesday night, a sense of celebration, a sense of relief.
"It was wrong. It was wrong. The humanity," Jennifer Caiola exclaimed.
Caiola is a school teacher in Philadelphia. She says this day and historic trial will become an instant lesson for her students.
"I am so happy I’m a teacher and it’s so hard. I’m just so happy for my kids. They had questions all day today," Caiola remarked.
On Dilworth Plaza, members of a University City church standing in silence in memory of those who were killed by police, hoping the verdict becomes a milestone of change.
"Just like it took many years for the systematic oppression to happen, it’s going to take many years, changes of heart, change of society to tear down years of deeply rooted oppression," commented Rev. Jeffrey Jordan of Whosever Metropolitan Community Church.
"All the cops in America are on notice. Police chiefs are on notice. Police commissioners – if you want your department to be half as good as what they did today, you better get your act together, because the world is watching," Rex added.
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