Derek Chauvin faces three charges of second and third degree murder and second degree manslaughter over the death of George Floyd. A former Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyd “until the very life was squeezed out of him”, a jury has been told. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell told jurors that Derek Chauvin “didn’t let up, he didn’t get up” even after Mr Floyd said 27 times that he could not breathe and went motionless. “He put his knees upon his neck and his back, grinding and crushing him, until the very breath, no ladies and gentlemen, until the very life, was squeezed out of him,” Mr Blackwell said. (…) Shortly after the opening, jurors were shown the full video of the arrest of Mr Floyd which was shared around the world and sparked months of protests against racial injustice and police brutality. The volume was raised to help the jurors hear what was being said. In the disturbing footage, bystanders can be heard telling the police to get off Mr Floyd.
And when he stopped making a noise, witnesses can be heard saying “he is not responsive right now” and calling for officers to check his pulse. All this time Chauvin is still kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck. The 46-year-old was declared dead after Chauvin, who is white, kept his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck as he lay handcuffed on his belly on the pavement.

via sky: George Floyd killing: Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck ‘until the very life was squeezed out of him’, court hears

siehe auch: Protesters join Floyd family, Al Sharpton and Ben Crump in taking a knee outside Derek Chauvin’s trial for eight minutes 46 seconds – the length of time he kept his knee on George’s neck during arrest. Derek Chauvin’s trial kicked off in Minneapolis on Monday morning with opening statements Trial attorney Jerry Blackwell argued that Chauvin ‘betrayed the badge’ when he crushed the life out of Floyd  He then played bystander video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he cried: ‘I can’t breathe’  Chauvin has been charged with second- and third-degree murder, manslaughter in death of Floyd on May 25 Protesters joined Floyd’s family, Ben Crump and the Rev Al Sharpton outside Hennepin County District Court The group took a knee in front of the court for the length of time Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck. George Floyd’s family on Monday took a knee for 8 minutes 46 seconds – the length of time Derek Chauvin pressed on the black man’s neck – outside a Minneapolis court on the first day of the police officer’s murder trial; George-Floyd-Prozess gestartet: Familie kniet acht Minuten und 46 Sekunden vor Gerichtsgebäude. Die Hauptverhandlung im Fall George Floyd ist am Montag gestartet. Vor dem Beginn verurteilte der Anwalt der Floyd-Familie die Polizeigewalt erneut. Gemeinsam knieten Familienmitglieder acht Minuten und 46 Sekunden vor dem Gerichtsgebäude – so lange hatte der Ex-Polizist Chauvin auf dem Hals von Floyd gekniet. Fast ein Jahr nach der Tötung des Afroamerikaners George Floyd bei einem Polizeieinsatz in den USA hat das Hauptverfahren gegen den weißen Ex-Polizisten Derek Chauvin begonnen. Ihm wirft die Anklage unter anderem Mord zweiten Grades vor, worauf im Bundesstaat Minnesota bis zu 40 Jahre Haft stehen. Der Prozess in der Stadt Minneapolis begann am Montag mit einem Eröffnungsstatement von Staatsanwalt Jerry Blackwell. Chauvin habe gegen den unbewaffneten Floyd „exzessive“ und unverhältnismäßige Gewalt eingesetzt und damit seine Pflichten als Polizist verletzt, sagte er. Floyd sei in Handschellen gewesen und habe 27 mal gefleht, ihn atmen zu lassen, doch Chauvin habe nicht von ihm abgelassen, so Blackwell.