Derek Chauvin verdict reactions

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus reacted to the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin case outside the Capitol on Tuesday, welcoming the news while vowing to press forward with police reform. 

"This verdict we certainly agree with, guilty on all charges," Chair Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said. "But we want our message to be very clear that this is just the first step. We know clearly that justice has been delayed."

Freshman Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said the verdict "should be the regular thing" rather than a surprise international news headline. "All we’re doing is saying our lives matter."

“Step one is the verdict, step two is the sentencing,” Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., a leader of police reform legislation negotiations, added. "Now we have to focus on transforming policing in the United States."

-ABC News' Ben Siegel

People gathered Tuesday afternoon outside of the Hennepin County Government Center and at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis to hear the verdict. 

While some who were gathered were celebratory, others were tearful upon learning that Chauvin was found guilty on all of the counts against him. 

Police departments across the United States have been bracing for this moment. A state of emergency was declared, and National Guard troops were deployed throughout Minneapolis ahead of the jury’s verdict.

As George Floyd’s family watched the verdict being read, they were overcome with emotion.

Bystander video footage shown in court showed Floyd talking about his family while laying on the pavement under Chauvin’s knee.

“Can’t believe this, man. Mom, love you. Love you. Tell my kids I love them. I’m dead,” he said.

Ben Crump, one of the attorneys for George Floyd's family that helped settle a $27 million civil lawsuit last month, called the Derek Chauvin case a "turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement," after the former Minneapolis police officer was convicted on all three counts in Floyd's death.

"Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd’s family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world," Crump said in a statement. "But it does not end here. We have not forgotten that the other three officers who played their own roles in the death of George Floyd must still be held accountable for their actions, as well."

Antonio M. Romanucci, another attorney on the legal team, said in a statement the verdict "reinforces significant police reforms underway in Minneapolis including use-of-force reporting, a requirement to keep body-worn cameras on, and a policy for officers to de-escalate non-threatening encounters by disengaging or walking away."

He called on Minnesota state lawmakers to pass The George Floyd Arbitration Reform Bill, and for the United States Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

In March, Minneapolis' City Council approved a $27 million settlement to the family of George Floyd.