If a 22-year prison sentence were not punishment enough for former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, Federal Judge Paul Magnuson added another 21 on federal civil rights charges. In handing down the sentence, Magnuson had the nerve to tell Chauvin, “You absolutely destroyed the lives of three other young officers.” Chauvin destroyed their lives? Let’s back up here, Judge. To say, “I really don’t know why you did what you did,” raises the obvious question: Shouldn’t you have known before sentencing Chauvin to 21 years in prison?
Here, Judge, is why Chauvin did what he did. When Chauvin arrived on the scene, two of the three officers whose lives Chauvin “destroyed” were struggling to arrest chronic felon and doper George Floyd. What made the arrest difficult is that the muscular Floyd was a half-foot taller and at least 50 pounds heavier than the biggest of the officers. As senior officer on the scene, Chauvin had to do something.