Minnesota, USA
Pressing George Floyd’s neck with his knee while he was handcuffed and upside down was a “top-level deadly force” and a bit “completely unnecessary,” Lt. Richard Zimmerman, director of the homicide division of, said Friday. the Minneapolis Police Department.
“If your knee is on a person’s neck, that can kill them,” Zimmerman said, adding that when someone is handcuffed in an upside-down position, “their muscles are pulling back … and if he is lying on his chest, this is restricting his breathing even more. “
Zimmerman also testified at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial that once Floyd was handcuffed, he saw “no reason why officers felt they were in danger, if they heard that, and that’s what they should have done. to feel to be able to use that kind of force “.
“So, in your opinion, should I have stopped this immobilization once it was handcuffed and on the ground?” Prosecutor Matthew Frank asked.
“Absolutely,” Zimmerman replied.
He also testified that officers have a duty to care for a person in danger, even if an ambulance has already been called.
During interrogation, Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, lashed out at Zimmerman with questions about the use of force, noting that officers must consider the whole situation when deciding whether to use the force. force, including what happens to a suspect and whether he is under the influence of any substance, among other surrounding dangers, such as a crowd.
Zimmerman agreed with Nelson that a handcuffed person can still pose a threat and can continue to turn around.
His testimony came a day after a police supervising sergeant who was working the night Floyd died testified that he believes officers immobilized him for too long.
David Pleoger said Thursday that officers are trained to put people on their side to help them breathe after they have been held upside down. He said officers may have stopped holding Floyd after he stopped resisting.