Statement from Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese:

Today, by a jury of his peers, former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts for the murder of George Floyd. While the verdict will never bring back George Floyd, it provides a measure of closure to his family, friends and the greater community. The systems of accountability worked, holding an individual, who worked within that very system, responsible for their criminal actions.

As I shared with you following Floyd’s death in May 2020, I condemn the actions of Derek Chauvin and the actions of other officers for failing to intervene. Floyd’s death should have never happened.

At the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, we believe in the sanctity of life and treating everyone with dignity and respect. We have a moral responsibility to protect people in our custody from harm. The actions by Derek Chauvin and additional officers go against our training and our code of ethics.

As Multnomah County Sheriff, I remain committed to examining our policies and protocols to ensure they are considered best practices and that they reinforce equity now and in the future. In early April, I published an open letter to the community detailing the actions MCSO has taken over the past year to answer your calls for reform and provide the very best public safety services to the communities we serve. This work will continue, because Black lives matter in Multnomah County.

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