![]() ![]() Ultimately, prosecutors were able to successfully portray Chauvin as an officer who went against police protocol and used force that was disproportionate to any threat that Floyd posed - and that Chauvin’s knee was a significant factor in stopping Floyd’s heart. Andrew Baker, the medical examiner who deemed Floyd’s death a homicide, cited Chauvin’s restraint and neck compression as the actions that caused Floyd’s heart, enlarged by a severe underlying disease, to beat faster and eventually stop. ![]() Pulmonary and critical care physician Martin Tobin said that Floyd died from a low level of oxygen, which caused arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat. Meanwhile, the medical experts who testified for the prosecution argued that it was Chauvin’s actions that caused Floyd’s heart to stop. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testifies. As legal experts noted, that so many officers testified against Chauvin was rare. The prosecution also presented nearly a dozen police officers who testified that Chauvin’s force was excessive and unnecessary, including Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who called what Chauvin did “murder.” Arradondo, along with other officers, claimed that department policy includes deescalation and conflict resolution tactics that Chauvin did not employ. Other witnesses also broke down in tears as they recounted what they saw that day, including 61-year-old bystander Charles McMillian and Genevieve Hansen, an off-duty firefighter who attempted to render aid to Floyd. Frazier’s 9-year-old cousin, who was also present at the scene, testified to feeling “sad” and “mad” that Chauvin was hurting Floyd. Minneapolis Police Department/APĭarnella Frazier, the teenager who filmed the viral video of Floyd’s death, testified to how she saw her Black father, brothers, and uncles in Floyd. An image from a police body camera shows bystanders filming as police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Beginning on March 29, the prosecution called a total of 38 witnesses, kicking off the trial with the emotional testimony from about a dozen bystanders who witnessed the murder firsthand. Jurors must have watched the fatal encounter and various angles of it - a combination of bystander cellphone video, store and street surveillance footage, and police body camera video - more than three dozen times.Īside from the power of the footage itself, the prosecution provided a strong case, legal experts noted. The Derek Chauvin trial and verdict, briefly explainedĪt the core of the trial was the video of Floyd’s death: Floyd pleading with officers, saying 27 times he couldn’t breathe, a crowd of bystanders growing over the nine minutes and 29 seconds in which Chauvin held Floyd down. Sign up to receive our newsletter each Friday. Vox’s German Lopez is here to guide you through the Biden administration’s burst of policymaking. The law favors police - giving them latitude to use force - plus, Americans, including jurors, tend to trust police officers.Īs Chris Slobogin, the director of the criminal justice program at Vanderbilt University, told Vox, “The jury is composed of citizens of the community who want the police to protect them.” For example, only seven police officers have been convicted of murder for police shootings since 2005. That’s rare in a system where it’s uncommon to prosecute police for killing someone, let alone convict them. The former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of all three charges - second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Though the amount of video footage of the killing was unprecedented and the momentum for justice was undeniable, history did not necessarily point to an easy conviction. ![]() ![]() Footage of the murder of George Floyd last May has been viewed by millions worldwide, sparking ongoing international protests against police brutality and igniting policy changes to reform and reimagine the role of police. The Derek Chauvin verdict has been nearly a year in the making. ![]()
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