On May 25, 2020, Floyd died in police custody after Chauvin and three other MPD officers were called to a deli where he was being charged with applying a fake $20 bill. Mr. Chauvin, 44, put down his left knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck, and held it there for more than nine minutes, according to prosecutors. More than 20 times Mr. Floyd uttered he could not breathe. The viral video displays him going stumble and being gripped by police. And an hour later he was declared dead in hospital.
The trial of Derek Chauvin, the earlier Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, has been started. The trial commenced on 29 March and is expected to take at least one month. The trial initiates almost a year after Floyd’s death instigated worldwide protest over police cruelty and racial inequity. Now, the jury will rule if Mr. Chauvin should serve time in prison or be discharged.
What are the Charges?
Chauvin is fronting charges of 2nd-degree murder, 2nd-degree manslaughter, and 3rd-degree murder. The three other on-time officers included Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng all face charges of assisting and endorsing the 2nd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter. Thao, Lane, and Kueng will be tried at the next date.
