The defense launched its case Tuesday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis agent charged with the death of George Floyd.
Court TV, via AP, swimming pool
Prosecutors put their case to rest on Tuesday morning after more than two weeks of testimony involving bystanders, medical experts, violence experts and police officials.
The first witness called by attorney Eric Nelson was a retired Minneapolis officer who persuaded Floyd in 2019.
Scott Creighton said he pulled his gun when Floyd wouldn’t show him his hands. In a body camera set in court, Creighton raises his voice and uses a curse while ordering Floyd, a passenger in a car he has stopped, to show him his hands. Floyd can be heard asking the officer not to shoot him.
“I’m not going to shoot you if you put your hands on the dashboard, it’s the last time I’ll tell you it’s simple,” said Creighton in the video. “He keeps moving his hands, he’s not listening to what I have to say.”
Floyd is taken out of the car and handcuffed. Later, a paramedic told her that Floyd told her he had been taking opioids and pills all day while he was under arrest. The paramedic also stated that Floyd had elevated blood pressure and that she recommended that he go to the hospital.
The defense case revolves around how Floyd died, which was a major point of contention during the trial. A series of medical experts testified to the prosecution, saying police reluctance was limiting oxygen to Floyd’s body and causing his heart to stop. But attorney Eric Nelson has argued that a combination of Floyd’s underlying heart disease, adrenaline, and the fentanyl and methamphetamine he took before the arrest amounted to a fatal combination.
Nelson has also portrayed the crowd of bystanders near Floyd as unruly, and is expected to call a police officer to testify that the crowd was so distracting Chauvin that he was unable to carry out his law enforcement duties.
Judge Peter Cahill said the testimony will likely end by the end of the week, possibly with Friday off. He told jurors to expect to be segregated after closing arguments on April 19. He had previously filed a defense request for the jury to be further questioned and immediately rejected in light of the fatal police shooting a driver at the nearby Brooklyn Center on Sunday, sparking protests against it.
Chauvin, who was seen in disturbing videos kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, is charged with second-degree murder. murder in the third degree and second degree homicide.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty. The other three officers involved are charged with complicity and are expected to be tried jointly in August.