U.S. President Joe Biden said the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd is "a giant step forward” in a case that touched off nationwide protests over police brutality directed at African Americans.
Biden, speaking at the White House on Tuesday, said Floyd’s killing had "ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism” and called on lawmakers to pass police reform legislation named in his honor.
"No one should be above the law and today’s verdict sends that message, but it’s not enough,” he added. "This takes acknowledging and confronting head on systemic racism and the racial disparities that exist in policing.”