"Citizens who are under arrest should never be put in the prone position except only momentarily to get them under police custody or control," he told the jury.Īs he spoke, Blackwell showed jurors a photo from the scene in which Chauvin has his knee on Floyd's neck. Blackwell said it was actually 43 seconds longer than that - 9 minutes and 29 seconds. He also said there is a misconception that Floyd was held face down under Chauvin's knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The prosecutor immediately delved into what he said is indisputably an excessive use of force. Derek Chauvin betrayed this badge," Special Assistant Attorney General Jerry Blackwell told the jury after outlining police policies and the oath that Chauvin took when he became an officer. Prone Restraint Is Central Factor In Opening Statements
Video recordings show that Floyd was handcuffed and held facedown on the asphalt and that Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine and a half minutes. And the first day ended with a "major technical glitch" interrupted the video feed being carried by news networks and watched by Floyd's family members in a neighboring court room.Ĭhauvin, who is white, is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd, a Black man. The trial is starting in earnest 10 months after George Floyd's killing triggered outrage and protests against racial inequality across the United States.
The first day in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing George Floyd in May, featured an intense series of opening arguments, numerous photographs and videos of the killing, and testimony from three witnesses.