Shapiro urges Trump to pardon Chauvin, Trump remains silent
American political commentator Ben Shapiro has called on Donald Trump to pardon Officer Derek Chauvin, who is serving a sentence for the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Trump, however, did not indicate any likelihood of granting the pardon.
The case of George Floyd sparked substantial emotions across the United States. In May 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 46-year-old African American man was restrained by police officers in a manner that prevented him from breathing. The reason for his arrest was the suspicion of using a counterfeit bill.
Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes, preventing Floyd from breathing, which ultimately led to his death. He reportedly ignored bystanders' warnings that Floyd had lost consciousness. Floyd himself said he couldn't breathe and pleaded for his life.
Chauvin is concurrently serving a state sentence of 22.5 years for murder and a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights.
Commentator Ben Shapiro has appealed to Donald Trump to issue a pardon for the officer, arguing that Chauvin could not have expected a fair trial due to the substantial public interest in the case. The "New York Post" notes that the president can only pardon Chauvin for the federal charges, meaning he would not be released from prison regardless.
Shapiro argued that Floyd had breathing problems before the police interaction. He contended that Chauvin is "is rotting in prison" because of "blind justice," suggesting that the officer's conviction was a victory for the African American movement in politics.
No, I haven’t even heard about it, no. I haven’t heard of that, said Donald Trump in the Oval Office during an interview with journalists. His statement is quoted by the "NYPost".
