The witness enters his third week in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis agent charged with the death of George Floyd. Before the jury was summoned to the courtroom on Monday, a judge denied the defense’s request for the jury to be questioned and abducted in the face of a deadly police shooting Sunday at a driver at nearby Brooklyn Center, which sparked protests. .
“This incident last night highlights, I think, that puts in the forefront the mindset of the jury that a verdict in this case will have consequences,” defense attorney Eric Nelson said.
Judge Peter Cahill said the shooting at the Brooklyn Center is a “totally different case” and said the jury’s kidnapping could now increase his security concerns. He said the jury will be kidnapped once its deliberations begin.
The verdict comes after medical experts and forensic pathologists testified last week about the cause of Floyd’s death. The way Floyd died has been a key point of contention during the trial. Prosecutors argue that he died of oxygen deprivation under the weight of officers who fixed him during the May 2020 death detention, while the defense argues that the drugs he ingested combined with underlying heart disease caused a cardiac arrhythmia. mortal.
On Friday, Hennepin County coroner Dr. Andrew Baker, who performed Floyd’s autopsy, said heart disease and drugs contributed but did not directly cause Floyd’s death.
Baker’s testimony came after three medical experts testified at trial that Floyd died of deprivation of oxygen, not drugs, as the defense has suggested.
Chauvin, who was seen in disturbing videos kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, is charged with second-degree murder. third-degree murder and second-degree homicide.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty. The other three agents involved are accused of aiding and abetting, and are expected to be tried together in August.