Before leaving the jury to deliberate in this extremely sensitive case, the prosecution and the defense have a final opportunity, Monday, April 19, to tip the scales at the trial of Derek Chauvin. Did this 45-year-old American policeman cause the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis (Minnesota)?
During three weeks of trial, two theses clashed on the causes of the death of this African-American, forty years old with the imposing template who, for nine minutes, had been kept on the ground, on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind his back , and a knee on the neck by Derek Chauvin on trial for murder, manslaughter and intentional violence resulting in death. His agony, filmed live by passers-by, sparked historic anti-racist protests and a wave of global outrage against police brutality.
The prosecution, which called nearly forty witnesses to the bar, will reaffirm in its requisitions that it is indeed the police officer who killed George Floyd. He died of a “Lack of oxygen” caused by the pressure of Derek Chauvin on his neck and his back, explained several doctors. African American had heart problems but even a healthy person “Would have died of what Mr. Floyd suffered”, said pulmonologist Martin Tobin.
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Rare convictions
The policeman also used unwarranted force when George Floyd no longer posed a threat, according to specialists in police methods. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said his former subordinate had “violated the rules” and “the values” of the institution. Experts and witnesses to the scene also lambasted Derek Chauvin’s inaction while George Floyd was unconscious. Prosecutors insisted on showing the police officer did not act “In a reasonable manner”.
It remains to be seen whether Derek Chauvin’s lawyer Eric Nelson, who will be the last to speak on Monday, and the seven defense witnesses, have managed to sow doubt in the minds of the jury. Police convictions for murder are very rare, with jurors tending to give them the benefit of the doubt.
According to Eric Nelson, George Floyd died of a heart attack due to heart problems, made worse by the consumption of fentanyl, an opioid, and methamphetamine, a stimulant, and by inhaling exhaust fumes while he was lying on the ground. According to the defense, the former policeman used legal procedures to overpower a struggling individual and keep him down.
Derek Chauvin silent
Witnesses also spoke of a “Hostile crowd” which represented a “Threat” and diverted the officer’s attention to the fate of George Floyd. Derek Chauvin, he refused to explain, using the right of any accused in the United States not to give testimony likely to incriminate him.
In addition to these testimonies, the jurors – nine women and five men – have repeatedly seen the appalling video of the ordeal of a man repeatedly screaming ” I can not breathe “, before sinking into unconsciousness. They heard stories from passers-by, first worried and then angry with police officers ignoring George Floyd’s pleas.
The four officers involved, all of whom were dismissed, were intervening on the suspicion that George Floyd had sold a fake $ 20 bill to buy a pack of cigarettes, a minor offense.
Police denied George Floyd the benefit “Consideration, professionalism (…), of the de-escalation that so often benefits white American citizens ”, lambasted Ben Crump, the family lawyer. “He did not even have the benefit of humanity”.
The jurors will then isolate themselves to deliberate. They will have to render a unanimous verdict on each of the three charges. If the jury cannot agree on all the charges, the trial will be declared. ” no “.
Tensions
Any other scenario than a conviction worries the local authorities. The tension is very strong in the city, which had already set ablaze after the death of George Floyd. Shops are sealed behind wooden plaques, and National Guard soldiers patrol the streets. The death also last week of Daunte Wright, a young African American who was killed by a white policewoman during an ordinary traffic stop in the suburbs of Minneapolis, only added to this tension.
The police announced that, Sunday morning, two soldiers of the National Guard had been targeted by shots from a car which then fled. The two soldiers were not hit by the bullets and received only superficial wounds, particularly from broken glass. The outcome of Derek Chauvin’s trial will also have an impact on that of the other three agents, who are due to be tried in August for “Complicity in murder”.
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