Photo: Houston Police/ Twitter
A Houston mural ofGeorge Floydwas vandalized with a racial epithet on Wednesday night, and authorities are searching for the person or persons responsible.
“I’m upset about it " Police Chief Troy Finnertold reportersin a press conference. “Let them do it again, let them get caught.”
Finner went on to call the vandal a “knucklehead” and said he doesn’t “know what their motivation is, hate, or whatever.”
Houston is Floyd’s hometown.CNN reportsthat the mural was painted last February directly in front of his alma mater, Jack Yates High School.
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George Floyd, at left, and Derek Chauvin.Splash
Jurors on Tuesday found former police officerDerek Chauvinguilty of second-degreemurder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the May 2020 killing of Floyd. The murder was caught on a viral video that fueled a national reckoning on social justice, race and police brutality.
Floyd, 46, a Black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis for allegedly spending a counterfeit $20 bill, died facedown on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him as Chauvin, 44, a white officer, pinned his knee to Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” during the killing.
Second-degree murder carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder has a penalty up to 25, and manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
According to theNew York Times, the recommended sentence for a first-time offender found guilty of second- or third-degree murder is 12 1/2 years in Minnesota. The recommended sentence for manslaughter is 4 years.
In a press conference, Chief Finner said that the verdict pleased some people but angered others — but he encouraged the community to stick together and keep the peace in the city.
“I want everybody to understand, ignore people with bad hearts and bad motivation,” Finner told reporters. “Do not give them the power.”
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source: people.com
