The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s May 25, 2020, death is entering its second week. The first week of emotional testimony came from eyewitnesses—and the disturbing video of Floyd’s arrest from police body cameras. Experts expect this week to focus on police training and help answer the question of whether officers were following proper procedure.
Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter. (See “George Floyd Protests.”) Chauvin, who is white, is accused of pinning his knee on the 46-year-old black man’s neck for over nine minutes as Floyd lay face-down in handcuffs outside a corner market.
Prosecutors say Chauvin’s knee killed Floyd. The defense argues that Chauvin did what he was trained to do and that Floyd’s use of drugs and underlying health conditions caused his death.
Multiple bystanders captured Floyd’s treatment by police on video. The scenes sparked protests that rocked Minneapolis and spread to other U.S. cities and beyond. Those videos, plus officers’ body-camera video and previously unseen eyewitness footage, came together to form a big part of the first week of trial.
Police Chief Medaria Arradondo will likely testify this week. Arradondo, the city’s first black chief, fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Floyd’s death. In June, he called the incident “murder.”
“Mr. George Floyd’s tragic death was not due to a lack of training,” Arradondo said at the time. “Chauvin knew what he was doing.”
Soon after Floyd’s death, Minneapolis moved to ban police chokeholds and neck restraints. Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey have also made several policy changes, including expanding rules for reporting use-of-force incidents and documenting attempts to de-escalate situations.
Prosecutors intend to build the case that Chauvin improperly restrained Floyd. A duty sergeant and a lieutenant who leads the homicide division both questioned Chauvin’s actions.
“Totally unnecessary,” Lt. Richard Zimmerman, the longest-tenured officer on the force, testified Friday. He said once Floyd was handcuffed, he saw “no reason for why the officers felt they were in danger, if that’s what they felt.” He went on, “And that’s what they would have to feel to be able to use that kind of force.”
Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson peppered Zimmerman with questions about the threat a handcuffed suspect might still pose. Nelson has also suggested that bystanders shouting at police might have distracted them from Floyd and made them feel threatened.
Jurors heard several days of testimony from bystanders. Some choked up as they recalled feeling powerless to help Floyd. Some also expressed feeling guilt over his death.
The trial has been a horrifying reminder of human fallenness. Many people are following the proceedings closely. Some worry the outcome will not fit the crime. For others, the trial has been too much to bear. Eyewitness Kyra Walker says she had to tune out and shut down Twitter one day. “I had a moment where I just felt broken,” she says. “I realized I just didn’t have it in me to watch all this.”
(Steven Thompson poses for a picture next to a poster of George Floyd in Los Angeles Friday, April 2, 2021. Thompson is choosing not to watch the televised trial because of an underlying dread of how the trial will play out. AP/Damian Dovarganes)
:)
@Alaina H, I agree with that last comment
@Christian
I know nothing about you being called a racist, but I figure you're troubled be it. I know I sometimes have a hard time talking to ppl of different nationality. Call me racist, but if y'all want to know I'm not white...
@ Everyone
My friend is persecuted at her chuch for being republican. I am praying for her. She has a mandatory school George F meeting. Please pray for her. Things are getting harder.
@Lissa
I sure will I am sorry
We should turn this in to a
We should turn this in to a 2000 page article but make a rule that no discussion of politics so ... we have a cat called skip he is black with like one white spot on his neck and he does not like to be held but like to be scratched
@Asher E
I wanted to say that others on here might want to purposely provoke you to anger, Asher (If I could call it anger. [maybe it isn't, of course]).
:)
@Franz, I Iike that idea! We have two cats, the first one is an orange original tabby named Persaval (ah! I don't know how to spell my cat's own name!) or Percy for short. He has the loudest purr!!!! The second one is lighter with a spotted or ticked tabby coat. His name is Sir Kay, or Kay for short. He loves going outside (they are indoor cats) and snuck out one time in a huge thunderstorm when my mom opened the door to listen to the weather alert!
:)
P.S. @Franz, I like your name!
@Caroline N
It’s a German name
@Some people
@Family- I am taking one class. I'm taking a Humanities Class. I'm not sure, but it could be A, because I've never taken Humanities EVER. XD I'm a beginner, the lowest of the low. That would be cool if I was in the same class as your sister!
@Caroline- Is your cat's name spelled Percival? Like, from King Arthur? That would make sense, since the other one's name is Sir Kay. I think that's a cool idea for pet names! I don't have any cats. (My brothers hate cats) We have a dog, tho. She isn't very smart, but she makes up for it in sweetness. XD
:)
@Franz, yeah, I thought so! @Addie, yep!
@Above
Ok then, uh, what do I say? We have some wild barn cats to catch mice... We have a dog she is so sweet, and I am wanting to get a puppy. Thinking about an Australian shepherd, Texas Heller, or German Shepherd...
Oh hey just make your best guess: what do you think is the most dangerous job to work at? Actually pick three and rank them. (We could have a debate on this if we wanted to...)
@ Riley
I would say- 1- Construction, 2-CIA/FBI, 3-Police
working for Amazon
working for Amazon
above
look it up
maybe babysitting 5 children
maybe babysitting 5 children 2 being twins?
@Riley
I would say 1 Serial Killer 2 Secret Agent 3 Police in NYC
@Franz R
I like that idea but I must ask, why would we make a rule about no politics? It is probably the most effective way to have a lot of comments.
292th comment
lots of comments
Wow, I haven't been on World
Wow, I haven't been on World Teen this past week and when I come back its like watching a bunch of toddlers fighting! This is just my point of view and I didn't read every single comment but it looks like Christian B said that he didn't believe that facts that Asher E gave, and that necessarily isn't true, and I'm not taking sides, but Asher E answered pretty hard and then Christian B I think got really offended, and said something and then Asher E got offended and then other people got involved and then people started calling other people names and then it just got out of hand. Asher said that Christian had been known to disagree a lot in other debates but he didn't need to answer so meanly and Christian didn't need to disagree so harshly, and neither of them needed to get offended so much. Just my point o view and I'm not taking any sides!
@Riley D
Huh, probably a CIA hit man would be the most dangerous.
@Addie L
Do you know who your teacher is yet?
@Everyone
We have one dog, one cat, five gerbils (in a different room than the cat, OFC) hopefully soon a canary (in the gerbils' room, which just so happens to be my room, as I am allergic to cats) and three chicks, which will be 7-8 chicks on Wednesday. One Buff Orpington, two Speckled Sussex (hopefully all hens) and on Wednesday a few pullet Americanas, and 3-4 SR bantams.
@Asher E look above this comment
thats why
@Names
Dog - Maddy, cat - Caspian, gerbils - Hazel and Arwen, Cashew, Maple and Cider, Speckled Sussex - Ivy and Cora, Buff Orpington - lol nothing yet, I haven't decided. Name suggestions are welcome!! (Future canary - probably Africa)
oops the one above the above
the one by Nora l
@Franz R
?
@Franz R
Ohhhhhh...
this is mylee
Franz What do you mean about working for amazon and the 5 children thing ? Im confused XDXDXD.
@ family
how about Ardio
@ Mylee
Amazon is on the top ten of the worst jobs on earth list, babysitting if you ever done it is ....actually just search on YouTube for mom goggles by the skit guys
but....
amazon is doing great this yr....
@Christian B
inside their packaging facilities it is really hard and dirty I saw a video on it
o
o
hmmmmmmmmmmm
hmmummmmumummmm
bruuuuuuuuuuuuu
bruuuuuuuuuuuuu
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmememem
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmememem
Franz R
When you told Asher E to look at my comment did you mean it in a good way? lol
sus
sus
@ Franz
Why would babysitting 5 kids be so dangerous? I babysit 4 kids ages 2-6.
idek
idek
@Nora L
A more accurate chain of events would be:
1. I present a factual argument
2. Christian says "those aren't fact because you have no proof" which is fair
3. I present the source and multiple people verify that I am telling the truth
4. Christian still won't accept the facts
5. Aryelle makes a long comment explaining her stance as an African-American
6. Christian doesn't pay attention and just keeps saying the same things that he was before
7. Aryelle gets rightfully offended by that because Christian is being a hypocrite
8. I and Riley D make firey comments calling out Christian
9. Christian gets triggered and starts insulting people
10. Everything goes downhill
@Nora L
Note that I was never offended at any point in that exchange.
oop
I want to be an FBI agent sooooo..........
But I think being a cop in L.A. county would be dangerous, and being part of the marine core.
I guess I want to live dangerously, cause I want to be in the marine core, then train to be an FBI agent in L.A. county.....
man, I choose a dangerous career choice........
I think the police officer
I think the police officer was just doing his job
@Asher E
y does that matter at all? who asked?
@Christian B
I just wanted to make sure she had the proper chain of events.
@Christian B
Are you provoking others to anger, Christian? Are you listening to Asher or Riley, or just ignoring them?
randomness...
who likes go carts
@Above
@Franz: I babysit four with twins and it is not so bad I like babysitting!
@Mostdangerous jobs: I looked it up.
1. Logging - fatal injuries per 100,00 workers = 135.9 - total deaths in 2016 = 91
2. Fishers - 86 - 24
3. Aircraft Pilots - 55.5 - 75
4. Roofers - 48.6 - 101
5. Trash and recycling collectors - 34.1 - 31
6. Iron and steel workers - 25.1 - 16
7. Truck drivers - 24.7 - 918
8. Farmers/Ranchers - 23.1 - 260
9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers - 18 - 134
10. Ground maintenance workers - 17.4 - 217
Yeah so in 2016, 918 truck drives died, 260 farmers and ranchers, and 217 ground workers. But yeah farming is dangerous we are farmers and it is so dangerous because there is sooooo much machinery I wear my hair up so it doesn't get caught in something. There was a story of a boy who was riding with his dad in a combine and was leaning on the window and they hit a bump and the boy broke right through the window and went through the combine and died. Terrible.
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