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Post by Admin on Mar 29, 2021 22:03:19 GMT
Testimony began Monday following opening statements in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin, who was seen in a disturbing video kneeling on the neck of the unarmed Black man, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors played the video of Floyd's death for the jurors during their opening statements, saying Chauvin used lethal force against a "defenseless" and handcuffed Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said Floyd died of oxygen deprivation beneath the pressure of Chauvin's knee, but defense attorney Eric Nelson argued Floyd died of a heart arrhythmia complicated by the fentanyl and methamphetamine he had ingested before his arrest. Following opening statements, prosecutors called their first witness to the stand, a 911 dispatcher who said she called a police sergeant when she saw officers restraining Floyd on video footage from a camera across the street. Floyd's killing last year drew outrage and a worldwide reckoning on police reform and racial justice. Three other officers involved in the fatal May 2020 arrest are charged with aiding and abetting, and will be tried jointly in August. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty. Fifteen jurors, four of whom are Black and two of whom are multiracial, were chosen during a weeks-long jury selection process earlier this month. One was dismissed at the beginning of the proceedings, leaving 12 jurors and two alternates to hear the case. The trial is expected to span two to four weeks at the heavily secured Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, after which the jury will launch into deliberations. Judge Peter Cahill is limiting attendees in the courtroom due to COVID-19 concerns and is allowing for the proceedings to be televised, a rarity in the state. Speaking as jury selection launched on March 8, Floyd's sister Bridgett Floyd said the family "is glad the wait is finally over, and the day is here." "We are praying for justice, and our hope is that justice prevails and we can all use this as an opportunity to be better, and do better for those around us," she said.
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Post by Admin on Mar 30, 2021 2:52:51 GMT
Prosecutors began calling witnesses to the stand on Monday afternoon in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. The prosecution started with Minneapolis 911 dispatcher Jena Scurry, who dispatched police to Cup Foods after getting a call about a man with a counterfeit bill. Scurry testified that despite several years of experience handling emergency calls, she became concerned when her monitors showed the responding officers, including Chauvin, kneeling on top of Floyd, pinning him to the ground. She initially believed the screen had frozen, then realized that was not the case, she told the court. "My instincts were telling me that something was wrong. Something wasn't right," Scurry, who had a view of the interior of the squad car from which Floyd was dragged, said. "It was an extended period of time. ... They hadn't told me if they needed more resources." She added: "I don't know if they had to use force or not. They got something out of the back of the squad, and all of them sat on this man. So I don't know if they needed to or not, but they haven't said anything to me yet." After watching the live video feed for several minutes, Scurry called the sergeant in charge of the officers, saying, "I don't want to be a snitch," then reported what she was seeing on her screen. When asked, she said she'd never done anything like that before. To the defense, Scurry noted that either Chauvin or another officer, Tou Thao, called for a faster ambulance response.
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Post by Admin on Mar 30, 2021 20:27:05 GMT
Watch LIVE: Derek Chauvin Trial for George Floyd Death - Day 2 | ABC News Live Coverage Watch daily live coverage of the trial of Derek Chauvin. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, faces charges of manslaughter, second-degree murder, and third-degree murder in the death of George Floyd. The trial is expected to last approximately four weeks. Live updates: abcn.ws/3m11EkB
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Post by Admin on Mar 30, 2021 21:04:14 GMT
WATCH LIVE: Trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with killing George Floyd - Day 2 | Direct Feed
Note: This is a live and unedited feed. The trial is expected to take several breaks throughout the day.
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Post by Admin on Mar 31, 2021 19:18:41 GMT
Watch: Day 3 Of Derek Chauvin's Trial | NBC News
Watch live coverage of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin is charged in the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd. Warning: This stream may include images and audio some viewers may find upsetting or disturbing.
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