Prosecutor Asks Judge to Sentence Chauvin to 30 years

Asking a judge to sentence Derek Chauvin to three decades in prison for killing George Floyd, a prosecutor said Mr. Chauvin had carried out “nine and a half minutes of cruelty” when he knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck as he took his last breaths.

The prosecutor, Matthew A. Frank, also noted that several police officers — including the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, where Mr. Chauvin had been an officer — testified against Mr. Chauvin at trial.

“Those officers didn’t hide behind a blue wall,” Mr. Frank said, using a phrase that refers to other officers refusing to testify against each other.

Mr. Frank said Mr. Chauvin had acted with unusual cruelty and deserved 30 years in prison. Mr. Chauvin’s lawyer has asked for probation and no prison time.

Mr. Frank said the crime was worse than a shooting or a punch to the face.

“That is more cruel than a typical second-degree unintentional murder — significantly more,” Mr. Frank said, referring to the most serious charge that Mr. Chauvin was convicted of. “This is 9 and a half minutes of cruelty to a man who was helpless and just begging for his life.”