Trial of former police officer charged with George Floyd’s death underway in Minneapolis – Essence

Opening statements have begun in the criminal trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who’s charged with murder and other charges in connection with the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day.

Floyd, 46, died in police custody on May 25, 2020. A cellphone video that went viral shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd, who was handcuffed and lying on the bottom, said, “I can’t breathe” and called out for his mother, while Chauvin, 45, kept his hands in his pockets and didn’t render aid.

Floyd’s gruesome death sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the country and world wide.

Chauvin has been charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter; he has pleaded not guilty. A jury was recently empaneled in the high-profile case. The jury is alleged to incorporate nine whites and 6 black and/or multiracial jurors. Two are alternates, and one could be dismissed to expand the jury pool to 12.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a press release to ESSENCE that he hopes “justice will be swift and clear.”

“The time has come for Derek Chauvin to be held accountable for the public hanging death of George Floyd,” Crump said. “The video, which has been viewed by millions of people around the world, makes it clear that this is a very clear case. The only reason some people think this is a complicated case is because George Floyd was a black man. If he were white, no one would say that his slow and painful death under Derek Chauvin’s knee was in any way misleading,” he said.

Crump, along with Antonio Romanucci, L. Chris Stewart and Jeff Storms, are co-attorneys representing Floyd’s family.

A team of civil lawyers reached a legal settlement with Minneapolis earlier this month for a historic $27 million.

“Since Mr. Floyd’s death less than a year ago, the city of Minneapolis has enacted sweeping police reforms, including reporting use of force incidents, requiring body cameras, and a policy for officers to de-escalate non-threatening encounters by retreating or walking away,” said attorney Antonio M. Romanucci.

Today, Floyd’s relatives, Pastor Al Sharpton, founder/president of the National Action Network, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, and supporters held a vigil, kneeling for eight minutes and 46 seconds. On Sunday, they held a rally for justice at Greater Friendship Missionary Church in Minneapolis.

In a press release, NAN said the organization is committed to fighting for justice for the Floyd family and opposing the “repeated, now sanctioned violence against Black people by police officers.”

“The world watched law enforcement officer Derek Chauvin lynch George Floyd with his knee as he repeatedly pleaded for mercy,” Sharpton said. “As the trial begins, we must reiterate that police lynchings will not be tolerated and that police accountability must be the law of the land. We urge the Senate to act immediately to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to ensure that law enforcement is never above the law.”

In addition, attorneys and the family have urged Minnesota lawmakers to pass laws that might strengthen the flexibility to carry officers accountable for his or her actions after they act outside the bounds of the law. The attorneys say the bill, which might overhaul a piece of Minnesota Statute, ought to be called The George Floyd Arbitration Reform Bill. It is an element of an ongoing series of police reform measures that Minnesota and Minneapolis are considering in the wake of Floyd’s death.

“George Floyd’s family and those who loved him endured unimaginable pain to get to this day. We hope jurors will allow the compelling evidence in this case to guide them,” said attorney L. Chris Stewart. “We also urge people in Minneapolis and everywhere to continue to express their support for Floyd’s family, but to do so peacefully.”

The process is anticipated to take no less than a month.