Derek Chauvin trial: Witnesses questioned by lawyers

Derek Chauvin failed the responsibilities that come with the badge he was given by the Minneapolis Police Department when he pressed his knee on George Floyd’s neck and killed him, prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said in opening statements Monday.

Part of the oath Minneapolis police officers take is to enforce the law "courteously and appropriately," while “never employing unnecessary force,” Blackwell said, adding that Chauvin violated both when he engaged in the "grinding and crushing" of Floyd "until the very life was squeezed out of him."

"Mr. Chauvin betrayed his badge," Blackwell said.

Floyd was unarmed, in handcuffs and did not present a threat to anyone, Blackwell said.

"He was completely in the control of the police," Blackwell said. “He was defenseless.”

Blackwell vowed to give Chauvin a fair trial, but stated that he was "anything but innocent" on May 25, 2020 -- the day that Floyd died.

The prosecution plans to prove that Chauvin engaged in "force that he applied without the regard for its impact," Blackwell said.

The civil rights attorneys representing the family of George Floyd -- Benjamin Crump, Antonio Romanucci and L. Chris Stewart as well as the Rev. Al Sharpton -- spoke to reporters Monday morning.

“Today starts a landmark trial that will be a referendum on how far America has come in its quest for equality and justice for all,” Crump said, with Floyd’s family present.

Crump stressed that the evidence against Chauvin speaks for itself, saying this “murder case is not hard."

“We're not asking for anything extraordinary,” Crump said. “We're asking for equal justice under the law.”

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.

Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill will excuse the 15th juror chosen for Chauvin's trial as court gets underway.

The first 14 jurors are present and will be sworn in and seated. 

Eight jurors are white and six are people of color, including four jurors who self-identify as Black. There are nine women and five men. 

ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.