ExplainerWhat’s next for Derek Chauvin after being found guilty of George Floyd’s murder

The former police officer, who faces up to 40 years on the most serious count, was transferred to the Minnesota’s maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights

Judge Peter Cahill will now gather information from the trial lawyers before issuing a sentence in two months

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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is taken into custody after the verdict was read in his trial in the killing of George Floyd. Photo: Court TV via AP

Published: 11:14am, 21 Apr 2021Updated: 11:15am, 21 Apr 2021

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck, was handcuffed and taken into custody on Tuesday after being convicted of all three counts against him.

Twelve jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, ultimately deciding that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death and that his actions were not that of a reasonable officer.

Prosecutors didn’t have to prove Chauvin’s restraint was the sole cause of Floyd’s death, only that his conduct was a “substantial causal factor.” They also had to prove his actions were unreasonable, because Chauvin was authorised to use force as a police officer, as long as that force would be considered reasonable by an objective officer.

Here’s a breakdown of the charges and what happens next:

WHAT’S SECOND-DEGREE UNINTENTIONAL MURDER?

It’s also called felony murder. To prove this count, prosecutors had to show that Chauvin killed Floyd while committing or trying to commit a felony – in this case, third-degree assault. They didn’t have to prove Chauvin intended to kill Floyd, only that he intended to apply unlawful force that caused bodily harm.