Derek Chauvin's defense attorney claimed he volunteered for a shift on the day that he murdered George Floyd

• Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.
• A jury had found Chauvin, 45, guilty of second degree murder, third degree murder, and manslaughter.
• His defense attorney tried to make a case for Chauvin's character, saying he volunteered on the day he killed Floyd.

Derek Chauvin's Defense Attorney Eric Nelson on Friday made a final case for his client's character moments before he was handed a 22-and-a-half year sentence.

Nelson said that Chauvin wasn't scheduled to work on the day he killed George Floyd, stressing that he always asked his superiors how he could help the police department. "He volunteered for an extra shift that day," Nelson said.

"If he would have been asked to dig a ditch for eight hours, he wouldn't have complained," Nelson said.

Prior to Nelson's impact statement, Chauvin's mother spoke publicly for the first time - but did not address George Floyd or his family.

She called Chauvin a "good man," and her "favorite son" and told the judge that a sentence delivered to Chauvin would be a sentence to her and her family.