Is the Chauvin verdict a turning point for U.S. policing?

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd by pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck during an arrest last May, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday.

“Today, we are able to breathe again,” Floyd’s brother Philonise told reporters after the verdict was announced. His sentiments were echoed in a wave of statements from politicians, celebrities and racial justice advocates who noted how exceedingly rare it is for police officers to be convicted for killing people while on duty.

Video footage taken by a bystander that showed Chauvin pinning down George Floyd as Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breath” before losing consciousness set off a wave of protests that ultimately grew into a nationwide movement for racial justice. Although it started as a campaign to root out police brutality, the movement expanded to bring light to systemic inequities permeating American society.