The jury deliberated for just over 10 hours after three weeks of testimony about the May 25 incident.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder Tuesday in the fatal arrest of George Floyd last summer.
Chauvin was also found guilty of one count of third-degree murder and one count of second-degree manslaughter.
The jurors were sequestered in a hotel and deliberated for just over 10 hours to reach their decision after three weeks of testimony about the May 25 arrest, in which Chauvin was captured in harrowing video kneeling on Floyd's neck for over 9 minutes. Floyd told officers he couldn't breathe before losing consciousness.
Floyd had been apprehended by Chauvin and several other officers called to Cup Foods convenience store after employees alleged Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for his items.
The fatal arrest prompted widespread protests against police brutality and renewed a national reckoning over the role of policing in the Black community and the country at-large.
The prosecution argued that Floyd would not have died if it weren't for Chauvin's actions, which were not part of his training, while the defense contended that Chauvin acted reasonably and Floyd died of an enlarged heart and drug use.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a “peacetime emergency” as the jury began deliberations Monday and in the wake of the April 11 killing of Daunte Wright by police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.
About 3,000 National Guard troops and 1,000 police from around the state were called in to Minneapolis ahead of potential protests. National Guard troops were also called to other major cities, including Washington D.C., Chicago and New York, the New York Times reported.
Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison on the second-degree murder conviction. Third-degree murder carries a sentence of up to 25 years, and the second-degree manslaughter conviction carries a sentence of up to 10 years. Sentencing is expected in eight weeks.
Following the verdict, Chauvin's bail was revoked and he was remanded into custody.
