, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd’s death, entered a key phase Monday as the prosecution and defense delivered their opening statements and the first witnesses were called to testify.
Chauvin “was well aware that Mr. Floyd was unarmed, that Mr. Floyd had not threatened anyone, that Mr. Floyd was in handcuffs; he was completely in the control of the police,” Blackwell said.Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell, left, speaks while defense attorney Eric Nelson, right, listens, during opening statements on March 29, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Bystander video recorded on a cellphone and viewed millions of times around the world showed Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd’s neck as Floyd, who is Black, repeatedly stated that he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin, 45, could be seen listening and taking notes on a legal pad during the opening remarks and witness testimonies.
Prosecutors called their third and final witness of the day around 3:30 p.m. local time. Donald Williams II testified that he had been walking to Cup Foods, the store that reported Floyd for using the counterfeit bill, to buy a drink when he heard a commotion nearby. Minutes later, several live broadcasts of the trial cut out and displayed the words “no signal” on the feed. However, Court TV’s broadcast continued to air video of the proceedings and Cahill could be heard telling the jurors that there was a technical glitch. He then dismissed them for the day.