‘Justice for George Floyd’: Utah leaders, advocates celebrate Chauvin murder conviction

Ashley Cleveland visits the George Floyd mural on the corner of 800 South and 300 West in Salt Lake City on on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. A jury on Tuesday found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty in Floyd’s death. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Utah leaders and advocates celebrated on social media Tuesday soon after a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of murder in the death of George Floyd.

“Justice for George Floyd. I never thought I’d get to see justice,” Lex Scott, president of Black Lives Matter Utah Chapter, said tearfully in a video posted to the group’s Facebook page. “There are no words, there are no words. We celebrate tonight.”

State Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, shared a one-word tweet that said simply: “Justice.”

“Justice was served, but let’s remember the life that was lost. This is justice that no family should ever have to await. Let’s all do our part to improve and heal our shared nation. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd,” tweeted former Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, who is Black.

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said that she was “pleased” with the results and called for more accountability in policing.

“It’s clear that George Floyd was murdered without remorse,” Wilson said in a statement. “Our nation has skilled and committed police officers, but also those who operate in their roles with bias and without regard for human life and liberty. ... As a community, I ask that we work collaboratively to address systemic issues regarding race and justice as we seek to reshape our institutions in order to promote accountability and justice.”

“He is guilty. Glad the jury confirmed what we all knew the whole time,” Sen. Derek Kitchen, D-Salt Lake City, tweeted.

Utah Jazz owner and Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith said in a statement: “My thoughts are with George Floyd’s family following his tragic murder and today’s verdict. We must all actively work toward meaningful, systemic change.”

The Utah Jazz organization also said the team members’ “hearts are with the George Floyd family today.”

“His murder — among too many examples of senseless killings, systemic racism and injustice — has only heightened the urgency to peacefully and emphatically work toward creating sustainable and meaningful change. The work ahead of us remains clear, our resolve is strong, and our actions must be even stronger,” the team said.

Chauvin has been accused of ignoring another officer who expressed concerns about Floyd last May as he lay handcuffed on the ground, pleading that he could not breathe as Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes. Floyd, who was Black, had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at a store. His death ignited fury throughout the country and spurred a summer of protests against police brutality.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

The Rev. France Davis speaks at the International Peace Gardens in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found the guilty in the murder of George Floyd.

After two days of deliberation, the jury convicted Chauvin of all three charges — second-degree and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter. Before the verdicts were read, questions had remained about whether the murder charges would stand.

Rallies are expected around Utah throughout the evening Tuesday.

On Monday, the president of the NCAAP Salt Lake Branch called for “calm” at the announcement of the verdict.

“If there are to be a protest regardless of the verdict, the NAACP calls for non-violence,” Jeanetta Williams said in a statement.

The Utah Democratic Party said the verdict represents “justice” but not yet “accountability.”

“Our work as a party and as members of the greater movement for Black lives continues, and our work to dismantle the systems that allowed for this tragedy to occur in the first place, must not stop today,” the party said in a statement.

Democratic party officials promised to “demand the changes that must be made, in solidarity with all the victims of police violence and brutality in this nation and our state.”

The University of Utah shared a message about the trial from interim President Michael Good and Dan Reed, senior vice president of academic affairs, that urged “everyone on our campus to be mindful of the impact these events may have on our students, on one another, and on ourselves.”

School leaders pointed students and staff members to counseling and support services if needed “leading up to and following the jury decision in the Chauvin case.”

“The University of Utah stands with those who call for social justice and equity. We are committed to actions and research aimed at ending hatred and systemic racism. We aspire to be a community that fosters safety, inclusivity, and equity,” university officials said in the statement.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Fencing surrounds the Public Safety Building in downtown Salt Lake City in advance of the verdict in the murder trial of George Floyd Tuesday, April 20, 2021.

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