The police chief of Minneapolis has testified that Derek Chauvin violated the agency’s policy and his behaviour was not in line with training.
The ongoing trial of the former police officer Derek Chauvin accused of killing African American man George Floyd is taking many twists and turns.
The prosecutors played the video of Floyd’s death for the jurors during their opening statements. The prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said Floyd died of oxygen deprivation beneath the pressure of Chauvin’s knee.
However, the defence attorney Eric Nelson argued Floyd died of a heart arrhythmia complicated by fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Here is all you need to know why the George Floyd case is grabbing international attention.
Who was George Floyd?
George Floyd was a 46-year-old African American man. He died in Minneapolis on 25th May 2020 while he was being restrained by the police. Video footage of the incident was broadcast by the media and went viral on social media platforms. It showed an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he gasped for breath. Derek Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
Who is the accused Derek Chauvin?
The ex-officer Derek Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 2001. He received a medal for valour in 2006 for being one of several officers who fired on a suspect who pointed a shotgun at them.
Massive Angry Protests After Floyd’s death
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police had sparked a furious response from all sections of American society. Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the use of force in dealing with protests. He had written on Twitter : ‘Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts’
The Black Lives Matter Connection
George Floyd’s death gave a fresh impetus to the black lives matter movement. The cry of “Black Lives Matter!” was created by three Black female organizers in 2013. It started after enraged over the acquittal of the man who had murdered the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.