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Derek Chauvin Trial: Bay Area Lawmakers React To Guilty Verdicts In George Floyd Killing

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A jury in Minneapolis Tuesday found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges in the killing of George Floyd, prompting responses from people all over the Bay Area.

The jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. During an arrest on May 25, 2020, Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for about nine minutes while Floyd was face down in the street, handcuffed and calling out "I can't breathe."

The killing, which was captured on bystander cellphone video, sparked an uproar over the repeated police killings of African Americans and set off protests across the country and around the world.

Governor Gavin Newsom noted in a Twitter post, "George Floyd would still be alive if he looked like me. That must change."

He also said that "we must continue to root out the racial injustice that haunts our society."

San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a statement after the guilty verdict was announced.

"This verdict does not bring back the life of George Floyd. It can't replace the years of his life that were robbed from him, nor the life experiences and memories that would have been made with his friends and family," the statement read. "What this verdict does reflect is that the tide is turning in this country, although still too slowly, toward accountability and justice."

Breed also noted that the need for action was about more than just this case; it called for drastic police reform.

"While we're now months removed from the height of those protests, the need for action is as critical as ever," Breed said. "This is about more than prosecuting the officer who killed George Floyd, though that is an important step. It's about fundamentally restructuring how policing is done to move away from the use of excessive force."

Other Bay Area leaders and lawmakers offered their reaction on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

ALSO READ: Bay Area Law Enforcement Calls For Peaceful Demonstrations After Trial Verdict

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