Nelson directly used his questions to try to show that Floyd was resistant to police commandos in May 2019. Throughout the process, Nelson has tried to give testimony to support his position that Floyd died of health problems, not the actions of the officers. during the May 2020 arrest.
“I approached the vehicle on the passenger side. The passenger window was down. I am starting to command the person sitting in the passenger seat several times, ”recalls Creighton, who is now retired, of the May 2019 arrest.
Paul Blume
(@ PaulBlume_FOX9)Creighton has parted ways with MPD. Judge Cahill has read a statement to the jury regarding the May 6, 2019 arrest #GeorgeFloydJudge tells them, this is * not * to be used as character proof against #GeorgeFloydThe limited intention is to show the possible impact of opioids on Floyd. pic.twitter.com/wMfRBdKQlG
“The passenger did not respond and did not follow my orders”.
Creighton testifies that he “had to physically reach in … because I wanted to see his hands”. Floyd was taken from the vehicle and handcuffed.
“In my mind his behavior was very nervous, anxious.”
“Did you draw your service weapon?” Nelson asks.
“Yes I did.”
Nelson introduces Creighton’s body-worn camera footage from that day. He says, “I’m not going to shoot you” and his service weapon is visible in the frame.
“Keep your hands where I can see them!” Creighton says at one point while telling Floyd to put his hands on the dashboard.
“I’m not going to shoot you,” he says too.
This video shows that Floyd is resisting.
On the other hand, the prosecution is asking Creighton to indicate that Floyd was under no medical stress during this arrest, in an effort to undermine Nelson’s health-problem-focused defense.
“Was he awake during this incident?” asks the Prosecution.
“Yes.”
Was he conscious?
“Yes,” says Creighton, noting later, “He was incoherent in my mind.”
Cahill told jurors that Creighton’s testimony was not about Floyd’s character.
With Creighton’s testimony now complete, Nelson has called the next defense witness, Michelle Moseng. She is a retired Minneapolis paramedic who was called to assist Floyd after his arrest in May 2019.
“It was quite difficult to judge him”, Moseng testifies. “He was upset and confused.” Nelson then asks her if Floyd told her he used drugs.
“He told me he took several, like every 20 minutes, and it was, I don’t remember if it was oxy or Percocet, but it was opioid based,” she says.