Delegates at the Minnesota Republican Party's state convention in Duluth voted Saturday to hold a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020.

The gesture occurred during the party's annual convention and involved a moment of silent prayer for Chauvin, who is currently serving a prison sentence for Floyd's death.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat who served as the lead prosecutor in Chauvin's murder trial, criticized the Republican party's action. Ellison characterized the moment of silence as "an act of profound cruelty" to Floyd's family and called it "disrespectful" to Minnesota's law enforcement personnel.

Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in connection with Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. The incident, which was captured on video, sparked nationwide protests and renewed discussions about police accountability and racial justice.

The Minnesota Republican Party has not immediately responded to requests for comment about the decision to hold the moment of silence or the criticism it has received.