Opening Statements in the Derek Chauvin Trail Began Yesterday

Yesterday, opening statements in the Derek Chauvin trial began. Prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell said Chauvin used excessive and unreasonable force when he knelt of Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, a different number than the infamous 8 minutes 46 seconds that has become a symbol of police brutality. Chauvin’s defense accepted the new timing as accurate. Blackwell also played the video and audio of Floyd’s death recorded by a bystander. Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that Chauvin was following his police training and said Floyd’s death was attributed to a combination of drug use and health issues.

The opening day testimony included a 911 dispatcher who watched live video of Floyd’s arrest and called a police sergeant after to voice her concerns about the incident. An employee of a gas station across the street also testified as prosecutors showed videos she recorded. Today, the trial continues with further questioning of the third witness, Donald Wynn Williams II, a professional mixed martial arts fighter who stumbled onto the scene of George Floyd’s death. He said Chauvin performed a ‘blood choke’ on Floyd and adjusted his positioning several times to maintain pressure on his neck. His testimony was cut off yesterday due to a technological error.