The defense rested this week in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial over the death of George Floyd. The former police officer did not take the stand.
Summary
The jury trial for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin over the death of George Floyd is expected to be turned over to the jury for deliberation next week after the defense rested their case this week.
- The trial began a few weeks ago as the prosecution called eyewitnesses to Floyd’s death, medical experts to testify it was Chauvin’s actions that lead to Floyd’s death, and fellow police officers, including the department chief, who argued Chauvin did not adhere to department policy when subduing Floyd with a posture that had Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.
- In their rebuttal, Chauvin’s defense attorneys presented a “use-of-force expert” and former police officer to argue that Chauvin’s tactics were justified in attempting to arrest George Floyd last year.
- The trial is ending on a somewhat bizarre note, as the judge warned prosecutors of a mistrial if they brought up “newly discovered evidence” related to carbon monoxide levels in Floyd’s blood around the time he died. The judge argued admitting such evidence at such a late stage and without the defense’s ability to review it would be unfair to and prejudicial against the defense, which had argued carbon monoxide poisoning was a more likely cause of Floyd’s death.
What’s Next
- Minneapolis businesses are bracing for possible protests and riots as the Chauvin trial comes to a close.
- The state is deploying 3,000 National Guard members as part of the effort to keep the peace in Minneapolis.
- Just as the city is winding down one police-shooting trial, a second is ramping up after Brooklyn Center (a suburb of Minneapolis) police officer Kim Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter after shooting African-American Daunte Wright when he attempted to escape custody during a traffic stop.
- That shooting death has led to further protests, unrest, and looting in Brooklyn Center, Portland, Oregon, and Columbus, Ohio.
- Huffington Post’s rundown of the trial highlighted the arguments from both sides and emphasized Chauvin invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
- Vox conducted a deep dive on the intricacies of Chauvin’s defense, with the various theories on the cause of Floyd’s death, and saying legal experts are divided on how effective of a defense it may be.
- Bonnie Kristian wrote in The Week that the central question in jury deliberations will likely be about the appropriate or excessive use of force in subduing Floyd, with the author saying “I suspect, the prosecution has successfully dismantled” the argument that Chauvin’s actions were not a factor in Floyd’s death.
- RedState focused on the judge’s warning of a mistrial if the prosecution’s rebuttal witness discussed evidence regarding Floyd’s blood carbon monoxide levels, which as previously noted, was not admitted in time for the defense to review it.
- Fox News reported on conservative televangelist Pat Robertson, who declared himself “pro-police”, condemning Derek Chauvin and Kim Potter, saying police need to “open their eyes” to what is happening and that “we’ve got to stop this stuff.”
- By contrast, Washington Examiner commentary writer Eddie Scarry, castigated former President Barack Obama for “dump[ing] kerosene on the multiple racial bonfires taking place in Minnesota” by saying George Floyd was murdered.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
