CNN correspondent Sara Sidner was the first person to share news of the Derek Chauvin trial verdict with George Floyd’s family. On Tuesday, April 20, Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes, was found guilty of all three charges against him.
Sidner recalled to Ryan Seacrest on-air on Friday, April 23, the emotional conversation she had with Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd.
“He was quiet at first and then he said ‘This is a historic moment for America, but it is a very deeply personal moment for the family.’ And that really struck me,” Sara recalled, adding that when she asked how he was feeling, Philonise surprised her with his response.
“He said ‘It’s gonna be alright,’” she recalled. “… So that’s kind of the spirit of that family. There’s a sweetness I like to call it a little Southern sweetness."
Chauvin will be sentenced in eight weeks. He faces up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for manslaughter. The trial of three other former police officers who were involved in Floyd's death is set to begin on August 23 in the same Hennepin County government building where Chauvin was tried.
Listen back above for more from Sara.