Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with the murder of George Floyd May 29, 2020. Floyd died May 25 after a store clerk accused him of paying with a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin and three other officers arrived at the scene and Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
The other three officers — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane — were charged with aiding and abetting in regard to Floyd’s murder. Chauvin’s trial began March 8, 2021. He is charged with third-degree murder, second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The prosecution is being handled by the Minnesota attorney general’s office and Floyd’s family is being represented by attorney Benjamin Crump.
Chauvin is represented by attorney Eric Nelson, who was recently criticized for asking potential jurors about views on racism, police relations with people of color and the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the midst of jury selection, Floyd’s family also received a settlement of $27 million for a wrongful death lawsuit. While potential jurors were dismissed after reporting that they were biased by the settlement, the trial has continued as planned, despite Nelson’s objections.
Nelson is arguing that Floyd’s death is attributed to drug use and pre-existing conditions, which is contradicted by the medical examiner’s report.
During the first week of the trial, witnesses gave their statements, including a nine-year-old witness. Emotional statements were given by Charles McMillian, Darnella Frazier and Genevieve Hansen who were reportedly distressed by their inability to intervene. Throughout the second week of the trial, the medical examiner noted that Floyd’s death was caused by his interaction with Chauvin. The defense also brought up concerns about Floyd’s 2019 arrest.
More updates will be provided in an upcoming issue of the Etownian. The trial is being livestreamed on major media outlets and available for viewing on YouTube.
The jury found Chauvin guilty of all three charges Tuesday, April 20.
