RICHMOND, Va. -- Police were prepared for protests and demonstrations but all was quiet Tuesday night in the Capital City.
A Democratic lawmaker and Virginia's top lawyer reacted to the three guilty verdicts.
A verdict reached after about 10 hours of deliberating, with plenty of drama as the judge read what jurors unanimously decided.
"Until it was read, I was literally holding my breath,” said Del. Jeff Bourne, who added that accountability is what was needed in Chauvin’s trial and that a jury finding former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty was a huge first step.
"The acts committed that we all saw were abhorrent and heinous,” Bourne said. “It has led to accountability, but we have a long way to go not only across the country but here in the Commonwealth."
"I'm also heartened that today's verdict sets a precedent of accountability,” said Attorney General Mark Herring.
He said he felt relief that justice was served but also sadness because it won't bring George Floyd back.
The Commonwealth's top attorney says more can be done to ensure an equal justice system for all. "For a long time now, we've had two systems of justice: one for white Americans and one for Black Americans,” said Herring. “That has to stop to bring systematic change."
