In this image taken from video, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court.

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, whose dying gasps under Chauvin's knee led to the biggest outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. in generations.

The punishment — which fell short of the 30 years prosecutors had requested — came after Chauvin broke his more than yearlong silence in court to offer condolences to the Floyd family. He also said he hopes the family will eventually have “some peace of mind.”

With good behavior, Chauvin, 45, could get out on parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or about 15 years.

Floyd family members and others said they were disappointed the sentence wasn't longer, even as legal experts and others pointed out that it is extremely rare for a police officer to be prosecuted, convicted and handed a prison term that heavy.

“Just because it's the most time doesn't mean it's enough time,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis protest leader.

Outside the courthouse, a crowd of about 50 people clasped hands or placed them on each other's shoulders. The reaction was subdued as people debated whether the sentence was long enough. Some cursed in disgust.

Jennifer Starr Dodd, 37, streamed the proceedings from her phone as a large group of people watched over her shoulder at George Floyd Square, as the intersection where Floyd was pinned to the pavement is now known. Members of the crowd broke into applause, and several said, “We'll take it.”

Starr Dodd was grateful the sentence was not the “slap on the wrist” she feared.

“There's going to be more George Floyds, there's going to be more Trayvon Martins, there's going to be more Daunte Wrights, unfortunately,” she said, referring to other Black people who died on the streets. “But I have hope now that they can get the consequences that they deserve for doing their missteps in their actions.”

In imposing the punishment, Judge Peter Cahill went beyond the 12 1/2-year sentence prescribed under state guidelines, citing “your abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particular cruelty” shown to Floyd.

Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said the family had gotten “some measure of accountability” but is hoping Chauvin gets the maximum sentence at his upcoming federal civil rights trial. Crump said this was the longest sentence a police officer has ever received in Minnesota.

But he added: “Real justice in America will be Black men and Black women and people of color who will not have to fear being killed by the police just because the color of their skin. That would be real justice.”

Floyd's family members had asked the judge to impose the maximum penalty, which was 40 years.

Floyd's brother Rodney called the sentence a slap on the wrist, saying the family has “suffered a life sentence for not having him in our life, and that hurts me to death.”