Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts in death of George Floyd
The former officer was found responsible for the May 2020 death of Floyd.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts in the death of George Floyd.
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Closing arguments have wrapped. Judge Cahill is now handing the case over to the jury.
Last witness is 'common sense,' state says in rebuttal argument
In the prosecution’s rebuttal, Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Jerry Blackwell brought "common sense" as the 46th witness in the case, stating that even a 9-year-old girl who witnessed Floyd’s death told Chauvin to get off of him.
"Why is it necessary to continue applying deadly restraint to a man who is defenseless, who is handcuffed, who is not resisting, who is not breathing, who doesn't have a pulse, and to go on and do that for another 3-plus minutes before the ambulance shows up, and then to continue doing it?" Blackwell asked. "How is that a reasonable exercise in the use of force?"
Blackwell also disputed Nelson’s portrayal of Chauvin as a reasonable police officer, saying the defense did not give the jury “the whole truth.”
"Notice how when you had the discussion about reasonable officer Mr. Chauvin, the whole narrative cut off before we get to the point that Mr. Floyd was not moving, that he was not conscious, that he didn't have a pulse, and Mr. Chauvin was still on top of him when the EMTs showed up, and he did not get off of him," Blackwell said. "How is that what a reasonable officer does?"
Defense concludes closing argument
Nelson wrapped up his closing statement by stating that prosecutors failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and that Chauvin should be found not guilty on all counts.
"Human beings make decisions, in highly stressful, situations that they believe to be right in the very moment it is occurring. There's lots of what-if’s that could have happened. What could have happened, what should have happened -- lots of them in lots of regards," Nelson said. "But we have to analyze this case from the perspective of a reasonable police officer at the precise moment, with the totality of the circumstances when it comes to the use of force."
Cahill then sent the jury out for a five-minute lawyer conference.
Prosecutors want jury to ignore Floyd’s significant medical issues, defense says
When court resumed after a 30-minute break, Nelson continued his closing arguments, stating that Floyd’s death was actually a “multi-factorial” process and claiming that prosecutors want to ignore his significant medical issues.
Nelson said that, according to the state, Floyd’s coronary heart disease, hypertensive disease, use of drugs that acted further to constrict Floyd’s already diseased heart and adrenaline coursing through his body during the police confrontation were “not relevant.”
"They just want you to ignore significant medical issues that presented to Mr. Floyd," Nelson said. "And the failure of the state's experts to acknowledge any possibility, any possibility at all that any of these other factors in any way contributed to Mr. Floyd's death defies medical science and it defies common sense and reason."