Boise leaders react after ex-Minneapolis police officer Chauvin is found guilty of murder

On Tuesday afternoon, leaders in Boise responded with positive comments after a jury found Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd.

Floyd’s death late last spring sparked nationwide demonstrations, including in Boise, where hundreds gathered at the Idaho Statehouse and elsewhere to protest. The killing of Floyd was a focal point for the Black Lives Matter movement, and throughout the summer, supporters held demonstrations in Idaho’s capital city, sometimes clashing with counterprotesters.

A Minneapolis jury that deliberated for about 10 hours found Chauvin guilty Tuesday of all three charges against him: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. His conviction could result in as many as 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in the coming weeks. Chauvin was remanded into custody until sentencing right after the verdict was read in court.

On Tuesday, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said she was pleased.

“Today’s verdict is a powerful reminder that no one is above the law,” she tweeted. “My hope is that this is the beginning of a journey to rebuild trust, transparency, and accountability in our law enforcement.”

The Boise Police Department also responded.

“As a department we are committed to continuing to analyze our policies and procedures to ensure they are in line with national best practices and the expectations of our community,” BPD tweeted. “While the verdict can never right the wrong of George Floyd’s death, hopefully it can bring some measure of closure to the pain in our nation and particularly to the Floyd family.”

Echoing calls around the nation for police reform, the Idaho chapter of the ACLU tweeted that more change is needed.

“Justice is more than one verdict,” read an ACLU tweet. “The fight for justice doesn’t end/stop here. Justice would have been George Floyd never being killed in the first place.”