A police officer approached a car with George Floyd in the front seat, and Floyd started to panic. While officers ordered him to spit out a pill he was trying to swallow, he repeatedly begged them not to shoot him.

Within seconds, one of the officers had his gun drawn and Floyd was being pulled out of the car and handcuffed.

The body-worn camera video of that scene was shown for the first time Tuesday to jurors in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murdering Floyd. The episode was strikingly similar to the day Floyd died. But it had been taken a year before.

As the defense began its case after 11 days of testimony against Chauvin, the video was the first exhibit introduced and signaled a key strategy: shifting the jurors’ focus to Floyd’s use of illicit drugs.

Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric J. Nelson, presented the video of the May 2019 arrest and questioned the paramedic who treated Floyd that day. He asked a woman who was with him the day he died about how Floyd fell asleep in the car and was difficult to rouse. He reviewed the signs of excited delirium, a condition often attributed to using stimulants.

Other planks of the defense emerged as well, including suggestions that the bystanders who tried to intervene were threatening and that Chauvin’s behavior was reasonable in the circumstances.

A Minneapolis Park Police officer who responded to the scene on May 25, 2020, the day Floyd died, testified that the bystanders were aggressive enough to make him fear for the other officers’ safety. A policing expert said the period of time when Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck was not only justified but did not even qualify as force. Each line of questioning was designed not so much to persuade the jury, but to sow the seeds of reasonable doubt.

The judge, Peter A. Cahill, has tried to bar a common defense tactic, blaming the victim. He has strictly limited testimony about Floyd, saying that his past acts and state of mind were not relevant to the case.

But the defense has tried to expose jurors to Floyd’s history of involvement with the police, and arguments over how much of the May 2019 arrest jurors would see began well before the trial.

Nelson said that arrest showed a pattern of behavior in which Floyd responded to the police by panicking, implying that he faked his response.

“This goes to the very nature of this case and why public perception is what it is,” Nelson said in court a few weeks ago. “The things that he is saying. ‘I can’t breathe.’ ‘I’m claustrophobic.’ Calling out for his Mama.”

The judge did not buy that argument, and initially barred any mention of the incident. He changed his mind after a second search, in January, of the squad car used on the day Floyd died turned up half-chewed pills of methamphetamine with Floyd’s DNA and saliva on them. He said that showed similarities between the two arrests, but he allowed the jury to see only about 90 seconds of the 2019 video.

“This evidence is being admitted solely for the limited purpose of showing what effects the ingestion of opioids may or may not have had on the physical well-being of George Floyd,” Cahill told the jury Tuesday before the video was shown. “This evidence is not to be used as evidence of the character of George Floyd.”

The video showed Floyd being slow to respond to commands from the police, and the officer who wore the body camera reaching to put Floyd’s hand on the dashboard. “It escalated real quick,” said the officer, Scott Creighton, who is now retired and who was the day’s first witness.

The prosecution has tried to engender empathy for Floyd’s struggle with opioid addiction, presenting testimony that he had tried to stop using. On Tuesday, the paramedic who was called to the precinct to treat Floyd in 2019 said he told her that not only had he taken an opioid painkiller as the officer approached the car, but that he had been taking them every 20 minutes.

Dan Herbert, a defense lawyer in Chicago who specializes in representing police officers, said the defense accomplished its goals in presenting the 2019 arrest. “What Nelson needs to do is show a side of George Floyd that is different from the poor individual that suffocated before everyone’s eyes on video,” he said. “He was lucky and didn’t die in that incident in 2019 — he wasn’t as lucky in 2020, that’s the strategy there.”

But the evidence could backfire because it showed an aggressive, profanity-laden approach by the police officers, and because unlike in 2020, Floyd was given medical assistance and survived the encounter.

“I don’t think Nelson scored a point at all,” said Albert Goins, a retired Minneapolis defense lawyer who represented the family of Jamar Clark, a Black man killed by the Minneapolis police in 2015. “Not only did Nelson’s use of the 2019 incident not land any blows, it raised the issue of the arbitrary practice and history of the Minneapolis Police Department in stopping its Black citizens.”

The defense spent the most time Tuesday on testimony from Barry Brodd, the first witness to explicitly defend Chauvin’s actions.

Brodd, a former police officer and expert on self-defense, said that putting Floyd handcuffed in the prone position on the street did not qualify as force because no pain was inflicted.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

“I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, and was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement, in his interactions with Mr. Floyd,” he said.

Brodd made statements that have been used before to defend officers accused of killing a Black man. He mentioned Floyd’s size and muscular build, and said that some suspects who are high on drugs “don’t feel pain” and can exhibit “superhuman strength,” said to be a sign of a condition called excited delirium that is often used to explain deaths in police custody.

On cross-examination, Steve Schleicher, one of the prosecutors, got Brodd to acknowledge that under Minneapolis Police Department policy a restraint is considered a use of force, and that a reasonable officer would abide by department policies.

Brodd acknowledged that he had listened to the videos in which Floyd expressed pain, saying, “Everything hurts.” But, Brodd said, he didn’t “note it.”

While Brodd challenged days of testimony on accepted police practices presented by the prosecution, not all the witnesses Tuesday were friendly to the defense. Shawanda Hill, another witness, made it plain through her facial expressions that it was not her choice to testify.

Hill ran into Floyd at Cup Foods, the convenience store where he spent the $20 bill that was reported to the police as counterfeit, and he offered her a ride. Once they were in the parked car, she said, Floyd kept falling asleep and was difficult to rouse. When police officers approached the car, she said, she woke him.

“He instantly grabbed the wheel and he said, ‘Please, please don’t kill me,’ ” she said.

Another witness was Peter Chang, a Minneapolis Park Police officer who responded to the scene and was asked to watch Floyd’s car. As he did that, he said, he became concerned for the safety of the officers who were interacting with Floyd. “The crowd was becoming more loud and aggressive,” he said.

Chang’s body camera video showed long minutes during which Hill and another of Floyd’s associates, Morries Lester Hall, waited on the sidewalk, unable to see what was happening to Floyd. When the ambulance carrying Floyd began to pull away, they asked if they could retrieve his phone from the car.

“He’s already gone,” Chang told them. “He doesn’t need his phone.”

A police officer approached a car with George Floyd in the front seat, and Floyd started to panic. While officers ordered him to spit out a pill he was trying to swallow, he repeatedly begged them not to shoot him.

A police officer approached a car with George Floyd in the front seat, and Floyd started to panic. While officers ordered him to spit out a pill he was trying to swallow, he repeatedly begged them not to shoot him. Within seconds, one of the officers had his gun drawn and Floyd was being pulled out of the car and handcuffed. The body-worn camera video of that scene was shown for the first time Tuesday to jurors in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murdering Floyd. The episode was strikingly similar to the day Floyd died. But it had been taken a year before. As the defense began its case after 11 days of testimony against Chauvin, the video was the first exhibit introduced and signaled a key strategy: shifting the jurors’ focus to Floyd’s use of illicit drugs. Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric J. Nelson, presented the video of the May 2019 arrest and questioned the paramedic who treated Floyd that day. He asked a woman who was with him the day he died about how Floyd fell asleep in the car and was difficult to rouse. He reviewed the signs of excited delirium, a condition often attributed to using stimulants. Other planks of the defense emerged as well, including suggestions that the bystanders who tried to intervene were threatening and that Chauvin’s behavior was reasonable in the circumstances. A Minneapolis Park Police officer who responded to the scene on May 25, 2020, the day Floyd died, testified that the bystanders were aggressive enough to make him fear for the other officers’ safety. A policing expert said the period of time when Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck was not only justified but did not even qualify as force. Each line of questioning was designed not so much to persuade the jury, but to sow the seeds of reasonable doubt. The judge, Peter A. Cahill, has tried to bar a common defense tactic, blaming the victim. He has strictly limited testimony about Floyd, saying that his past acts and state of mind were not relevant to the case. But the defense has tried to expose jurors to Floyd’s history of involvement with the police, and arguments over how much of the May 2019 arrest jurors would see began well before the trial. Nelson said that arrest showed a pattern of behavior in which Floyd responded to the police by panicking, implying that he faked his response. “This goes to the very nature of this case and why public perception is what it is,” Nelson said in court a few weeks ago. “The things that he is saying. ‘I can’t breathe.’ ‘I’m claustrophobic.’ Calling out for his Mama.” The judge did not buy that argument, and initially barred any mention of the incident. He changed his mind after a second search, in January, of the squad car used on the day Floyd died turned up half-chewed pills of methamphetamine with Floyd’s DNA and saliva on them. He said that showed similarities between the two arrests, but he allowed the jury to see only about 90 seconds of the 2019 video. “This evidence is being admitted solely for the limited purpose of showing what effects the ingestion of opioids may or may not have had on the physical well-being of George Floyd,” Cahill told the jury Tuesday before the video was shown. “This evidence is not to be used as evidence of the character of George Floyd.” The video showed Floyd being slow to respond to commands from the police, and the officer who wore the body camera reaching to put Floyd’s hand on the dashboard. “It escalated real quick,” said the officer, Scott Creighton, who is now retired and who was the day’s first witness. The prosecution has tried to engender empathy for Floyd’s struggle with opioid addiction, presenting testimony that he had tried to stop using. On Tuesday, the paramedic who was called to the precinct to treat Floyd in 2019 said he told her that not only had he taken an opioid painkiller as the officer approached the car, but that he had been taking them every 20 minutes. Dan Herbert, a defense lawyer in Chicago who specializes in representing police officers, said the defense accomplished its goals in presenting the 2019 arrest. “What Nelson needs to do is show a side of George Floyd that is different from the poor individual that suffocated before everyone’s eyes on video,” he said. “He was lucky and didn’t die in that incident in 2019 — he wasn’t as lucky in 2020, that’s the strategy there.” But the evidence could backfire because it showed an aggressive, profanity-laden approach by the police officers, and because unlike in 2020, Floyd was given medical assistance and survived the encounter. “I don’t think Nelson scored a point at all,” said Albert Goins, a retired Minneapolis defense lawyer who represented the family of Jamar Clark, a Black man killed by the Minneapolis police in 2015. “Not only did Nelson’s use of the 2019 incident not land any blows, it raised the issue of the arbitrary practice and history of the Minneapolis Police Department in stopping its Black citizens.” The defense spent the most time Tuesday on testimony from Barry Brodd, the first witness to explicitly defend Chauvin’s actions. Brodd, a former police officer and expert on self-defense, said that putting Floyd handcuffed in the prone position on the street did not qualify as force because no pain was inflicted. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) “I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, and was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement, in his interactions with Mr. Floyd,” he said. Brodd made statements that have been used before to defend officers accused of killing a Black man. He mentioned Floyd’s size and muscular build, and said that some suspects who are high on drugs “don’t feel pain” and can exhibit “superhuman strength,” said to be a sign of a condition called excited delirium that is often used to explain deaths in police custody. On cross-examination, Steve Schleicher, one of the prosecutors, got Brodd to acknowledge that under Minneapolis Police Department policy a restraint is considered a use of force, and that a reasonable officer would abide by department policies. Brodd acknowledged that he had listened to the videos in which Floyd expressed pain, saying, “Everything hurts.” But, Brodd said, he didn’t “note it.” While Brodd challenged days of testimony on accepted police practices presented by the prosecution, not all the witnesses Tuesday were friendly to the defense. Shawanda Hill, another witness, made it plain through her facial expressions that it was not her choice to testify. Hill ran into Floyd at Cup Foods, the convenience store where he spent the $20 bill that was reported to the police as counterfeit, and he offered her a ride. Once they were in the parked car, she said, Floyd kept falling asleep and was difficult to rouse. When police officers approached the car, she said, she woke him. “He instantly grabbed the wheel and he said, ‘Please, please don’t kill me,’ ” she said. Another witness was Peter Chang, a Minneapolis Park Police officer who responded to the scene and was asked to watch Floyd’s car. As he did that, he said, he became concerned for the safety of the officers who were interacting with Floyd. “The crowd was becoming more loud and aggressive,” he said. Chang’s body camera video showed long minutes during which Hill and another of Floyd’s associates, Morries Lester Hall, waited on the sidewalk, unable to see what was happening to Floyd. When the ambulance carrying Floyd began to pull away, they asked if they could retrieve his phone from the car. “He’s already gone,” Chang told them. “He doesn’t need his phone.”

Early testimony for defence: Derek Chauvin’s use of force on George Floyd was ‘justified’

Protests have broken out in the US city of Minneapolis after a policeman fatally shot a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright. Hundreds of protesters chanting Daunte Wright's name gathered late on Sunday outside the police headquarters in Brooklyn Center,

Protests near Minneapolis after Police shoot 20-year-old man

A US army lieutenant was subjected to excessive force by two police officers of the Virginia police department at a traffic stop.

The army officer, Caron Nazario, was stopped by the two Virginia police officers for not have permanent license plates in his new Chevrolet Tahoe on December 5, 2020. The army officer, however, claims he did have cardboard temporary plates taped to the inside of the rear window.

Nazario, who is Black and Latino, was dressed in his uniform and tried to find a well-lit area to stop when he was asked to pull over by Daniel Crocker, a Windsor police officer. Crocker, however, claims he thought Nazario was "eluding police" and he considered it a "high-risk traffic stop".

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Army officer LT. Caron Nazario who’s Afro-Latino was pulled over in his car. 
 
When told to get out of the car he said, “I’m honestly afraid to get out.” 
 
Officer said, 
“Yeah, you should be!” 
 
This is how U treat soldiers of color who defend this country? 
 
<a href="https://t.co/E9CoUVjBqp">pic.twitter.com/E9CoUVjBqp</a>
— KID VICIOUS🔪 (@kirkacevedo) <a href="https://twitter.com/kirkacevedo/status/1380858745677258755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The army officer said he wanted to stop in a well-lit area "for officer safety and out of respect for the officers," as per a report of the court filing.

Cocker was joined by Joe Gutierrez, who was passing by the same area when he heard his colleague’s call.

However, the lawsuit reports that the license plate was well-visible by the time the two officers reached the SUV.

Upon arriving near the SUV, which had been stopped by Nazario at a gas station, the officers drew out their guns and pointed them at Nazario, attempting to pull him out of his car.

"I don’t even want to reach for my seatbelt, can you please ... My hands are out, can you please – look, this is really messed up," the US army officer could be heard saying.

However, the officers continued yelling and assaulting the officer, while making racist remarks.

"These cameras captured footage of behavior consistent with a disgusting nationwide trend of law enforcement officers who, believing they can operate with complete impunity, engage in unprofessional, discourteous, racially biased, dangerous and sometimes deadly abuses of authority," the lawsuit says.

Nazario has now sued the two officers, demanding $1 million in compensatory damages as he believes the officers violated his rights guaranteed under the First and Fourth Amendments.

A US army lieutenant was subjected to excessive force by two police officers of the Virginia police department at a traffic stop. The army officer, Caron Nazario, was stopped by the two Virginia police officers for not have permanent license plates in his new Chevrolet Tahoe on December 5, 2020.

A US army lieutenant was subjected to excessive force by two police officers of the Virginia police department at a traffic stop. The army officer, Caron Nazario, was stopped by the two Virginia police officers for not have permanent license plates in his new Chevrolet Tahoe on December 5, 2020. The army officer, however, claims he did have cardboard temporary plates taped to the inside of the rear window. Nazario, who is Black and Latino, was dressed in his uniform and tried to find a well-lit area to stop when he was asked to pull over by Daniel Crocker, a Windsor police officer. Crocker, however, claims he thought Nazario was "eluding police" and he considered it a "high-risk traffic stop". Army officer LT. Caron Nazario who’s Afro-Latino was pulled over in his car. When told to get out of the car he said, “I’m honestly afraid to get out.” Officer said, “Yeah, you should be!” This is how U treat soldiers of color who defend this country? pic.twitter.com/E9CoUVjBqp — KID VICIOUS🔪 (@kirkacevedo) April 10, 2021 × The army officer said he wanted to stop in a well-lit area "for officer safety and out of respect for the officers," as per a report of the court filing. Cocker was joined by Joe Gutierrez, who was passing by the same area when he heard his colleague’s call. However, the lawsuit reports that the license plate was well-visible by the time the two officers reached the SUV. Upon arriving near the SUV, which had been stopped by Nazario at a gas station, the officers drew out their guns and pointed them at Nazario, attempting to pull him out of his car. "I don’t even want to reach for my seatbelt, can you please ... My hands are out, can you please – look, this is really messed up," the US army officer could be heard saying. However, the officers continued yelling and assaulting the officer, while making racist remarks. "These cameras captured footage of behavior consistent with a disgusting nationwide trend of law enforcement officers who, believing they can operate with complete impunity, engage in unprofessional, discourteous, racially biased, dangerous and sometimes deadly abuses of authority," the lawsuit says. Nazario has now sued the two officers, demanding $1 million in compensatory damages as he believes the officers violated his rights guaranteed under the First and Fourth Amendments.

Police officers use excessive force on US army officer of Black-Latino origin

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone.

Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin's murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May.

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Stiger told jurors that Floyd posed no immediate threat and was not actively resisting when Chauvin used deadly force on him by pinning his neck to the ground for more than nine minutes.

"My opinion was that no force was reasonable in that position," Stiger testified. "The pressure ... caused by the body weight could cause positional asphyxia and could cause death."

Floyd's death, captured on video widely viewed on social media, prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities across the United States and around the world.

Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he was following the training he had received in his 19 years on the police force. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting murder and will stand trial later this year.

Chauvin and the three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. They were fired the day after the incident.

Stiger, who has reviewed 2,500 cases in which police used force, resumed his testimony after first appearing on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked him to describe several photographs showing officers restraining Floyd. Stiger testified that it appeared Chauvin's use of force was excessive.

"He was handcuffed, not attempting to resist, not attempting to assault officers, kick, punch of that nature," Stiger said of Floyd.

Stiger testified that Chauvin squeezed Floyd's hand to get him to comply with the officer's orders while he was handcuffed in the prone position and that Floyd did not appear to have an opportunity to comply.

"At that point, it was just pain," Stiger said.

'Has to be proportional'

Questioned by defense lawyer Eric Nelson, Stiger agreed that a police officer needed to take into account various factors during a fluid situation when considering using force.

"It has to be proportional," Stiger said. "You are constantly reassessing during the time frame."

Stiger also agreed with Nelson that Chauvin came upon a situation in which a suspect was actively resisting officers who were trying to put him into a police squad car as people in a crowd yelled insults at them, posing a "potential threat."

Nelson showed Stiger photographs taken at different times of the incident showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd. Nelson asked Stiger whether he agreed that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's shoulder blades rather than his neck.

"It appears to be more above the shoulder blades than on the shoulder blades," Stiger testified, not agreeing with Nelson.

Prosecutors then called three Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators, including Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, an expert on the use of force and the lead investigator in the case.

Part of Reyerson's testimony involved the investigation of the police squad car and Floyd's Mercedes Benz vehicle.

Reyerson testified that six months after the incident, Chauvin's lawyers re-examined the police car and found what was later determined to be pills that had Floyd's DNA on them. During its opening statement in the trial, Chauvin's defense team said the pills contained methamphetamine with fentanyl.

Reyerson agreed with Nelson that it sounded on one video of the incident as if Floyd said he "ate too many drugs." But during more questioning later from the prosecution, Reyerson agreed that it sounded as if Floyd said: "I ain't do no drugs."

Later in the day, McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist with the bureau, took the stand to describe collecting pills from the vehicles over the course of the investigation, including whole and partial tablets from the police squad car.

She testified that Floyd's blood was found in the back of the squad car and that pills found in the vehicle had saliva that matched Floyd's DNA.

(With inputs from Agencies)

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone.

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone. Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin's murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May. Stiger told jurors that Floyd posed no immediate threat and was not actively resisting when Chauvin used deadly force on him by pinning his neck to the ground for more than nine minutes. "My opinion was that no force was reasonable in that position," Stiger testified. "The pressure ... caused by the body weight could cause positional asphyxia and could cause death." Floyd's death, captured on video widely viewed on social media, prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities across the United States and around the world. Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he was following the training he had received in his 19 years on the police force. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting murder and will stand trial later this year. Chauvin and the three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. They were fired the day after the incident. Stiger, who has reviewed 2,500 cases in which police used force, resumed his testimony after first appearing on Tuesday. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked him to describe several photographs showing officers restraining Floyd. Stiger testified that it appeared Chauvin's use of force was excessive. "He was handcuffed, not attempting to resist, not attempting to assault officers, kick, punch of that nature," Stiger said of Floyd. Stiger testified that Chauvin squeezed Floyd's hand to get him to comply with the officer's orders while he was handcuffed in the prone position and that Floyd did not appear to have an opportunity to comply. "At that point, it was just pain," Stiger said. 'Has to be proportional' Questioned by defense lawyer Eric Nelson, Stiger agreed that a police officer needed to take into account various factors during a fluid situation when considering using force. "It has to be proportional," Stiger said. "You are constantly reassessing during the time frame." Stiger also agreed with Nelson that Chauvin came upon a situation in which a suspect was actively resisting officers who were trying to put him into a police squad car as people in a crowd yelled insults at them, posing a "potential threat." Nelson showed Stiger photographs taken at different times of the incident showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd. Nelson asked Stiger whether he agreed that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's shoulder blades rather than his neck. "It appears to be more above the shoulder blades than on the shoulder blades," Stiger testified, not agreeing with Nelson. Prosecutors then called three Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators, including Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, an expert on the use of force and the lead investigator in the case. Part of Reyerson's testimony involved the investigation of the police squad car and Floyd's Mercedes Benz vehicle. Reyerson testified that six months after the incident, Chauvin's lawyers re-examined the police car and found what was later determined to be pills that had Floyd's DNA on them. During its opening statement in the trial, Chauvin's defense team said the pills contained methamphetamine with fentanyl. Reyerson agreed with Nelson that it sounded on one video of the incident as if Floyd said he "ate too many drugs." But during more questioning later from the prosecution, Reyerson agreed that it sounded as if Floyd said: "I ain't do no drugs." Later in the day, McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist with the bureau, took the stand to describe collecting pills from the vehicles over the course of the investigation, including whole and partial tablets from the police squad car. She testified that Floyd's blood was found in the back of the squad car and that pills found in the vehicle had saliva that matched Floyd's DNA. (With inputs from Agencies)

George Floyd trial: Expert testifies Chauvin had no need to use force

Human rights in the US have deteriorated massively in 2020 under the rule of former US president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump.</a>

Watchdog&nbsp;group Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday that listed 15 human rights areas of concern in the US, which included the unlawful killing of civilians, right to peaceful assembly and LGBTQ rights.

The report has come at a time when the US is already struggling with racial injustice and hate, which is being countered with the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate campaigns.

“Our history is built on our Bill of Rights and the First Amendment … that guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, free speech and free expression,” said Joanne Lin, Amnesty’s national advocacy director. “But as we have seen in our own country, those rights can be placed in great peril and are often under tremendous assault, especially during times of crisis,”&nbsp;Al Jazeera quoted Lin as saying.

The report claims that the coronavirus pandemic, which hit the US hardest, has caused repeated lockdowns which led to a decline in the economy. The repeated lockdowns led to widespread job loss and an uneven government response that led to a “disproportionate and discriminatory impact on many people based on their race, socioeconomic situations and other characteristics”.

As per the report, the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected the people of colour in the US which has been caused “due to unsanitary conditions in prisons and detention where they were unable to adequately physically distance and had inadequate access to hygienic supplies”.

Amnesty has also blamed Trump for decreasing human rights in the US. “Trump administration’s broadly dismal human rights record, both at home and abroad, deteriorated further during 2020”.

It has been reported that at least 1,000 people have been killed by police firearms, of which Black people have been severely attacked. It also added that law enforcement officers committed “widespread and egregious human rights violations against people protesting about the unlawful killings of Black people and calling for police reform” during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Amnesty “documented 125 separate incidents of unlawful police violence against protesters in 40 states and Washington, DC, between 26 May and 5 June alone,” the report read.

Human rights in the US have deteriorated massively in 2020 under the rule of former US president Donald Trump. Watchdog group Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday that listed 15 human rights areas of concern in the US, which included the unlawful killing of civilians, right to peaceful assembly and LGBTQ rights.

Human rights in the US have deteriorated massively in 2020 under the rule of former US president Donald Trump. Watchdog group Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday that listed 15 human rights areas of concern in the US, which included the unlawful killing of civilians, right to peaceful assembly and LGBTQ rights. The report has come at a time when the US is already struggling with racial injustice and hate, which is being countered with the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate campaigns. “Our history is built on our Bill of Rights and the First Amendment … that guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, free speech and free expression,” said Joanne Lin, Amnesty’s national advocacy director. “But as we have seen in our own country, those rights can be placed in great peril and are often under tremendous assault, especially during times of crisis,” Al Jazeera quoted Lin as saying. The report claims that the coronavirus pandemic, which hit the US hardest, has caused repeated lockdowns which led to a decline in the economy. The repeated lockdowns led to widespread job loss and an uneven government response that led to a “disproportionate and discriminatory impact on many people based on their race, socioeconomic situations and other characteristics”. As per the report, the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected the people of colour in the US which has been caused “due to unsanitary conditions in prisons and detention where they were unable to adequately physically distance and had inadequate access to hygienic supplies”. Amnesty has also blamed Trump for decreasing human rights in the US. “Trump administration’s broadly dismal human rights record, both at home and abroad, deteriorated further during 2020”. It has been reported that at least 1,000 people have been killed by police firearms, of which Black people have been severely attacked. It also added that law enforcement officers committed “widespread and egregious human rights violations against people protesting about the unlawful killings of Black people and calling for police reform” during the Black Lives Matter movement. Amnesty “documented 125 separate incidents of unlawful police violence against protesters in 40 states and Washington, DC, between 26 May and 5 June alone,” the report read.

US human rights 'deteriorated' in 2020: Amnesty International

The police chief of Minneapolis testified at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial&nbsp;on Monday.&nbsp;Chief Medaria Arradondo said that Chauvin violated police department rules and ethics on respecting the “sanctity of life” while arresting George Floyd last May.

Chauvin, a former white police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man for over nine minutes, killing him. A bystander filmed the incident, causing uproar on social media and triggering a series of global protests against racism.

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"It's not part of our training, and it is certainly not part of our ethics and our values," said Chief Medaria Arradondo.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/george-floyds-girlfriend-testifies-at-chauvin-murder-trial-374890" hreflang="en">George Floyd's girlfriend testifies at Chauvin murder trial</a>

Arradondo testified for over 3.5 hours, and attempted to refute the claims by defence that Chauvin was merely acting out based on the training he had received in the force. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges.

It is highly unusual for a police chief to testify against their former subordinates. Soon after the incident, Chauvin was fired by Arradondo, along with other officers involved in the incident.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/witnesses-to-george-floyds-deadly-arrest-tell-jury-of-their-shock-horror-374391" hreflang="en">Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror</a>

Last year, the chief put out a statement calling it murder - "This was murder — it wasn't a lack of training."

"I vehemently disagree that that was appropriate use of force for that situation on May 25," Arradondo testified.

"It's contrary to our training to indefinitely place your knee on a prone, handcuffed individual for an indefinite period of time," he said.

&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The police chief of Minneapolis testified at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial on Monday. Chief Medaria Arradondo said that Chauvin violated police department rules and ethics on respecting the “sanctity of life” while arresting George Floyd last May.

The police chief of Minneapolis testified at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial on Monday. Chief Medaria Arradondo said that Chauvin violated police department rules and ethics on respecting the “sanctity of life” while arresting George Floyd last May. Chauvin, a former white police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man for over nine minutes, killing him. A bystander filmed the incident, causing uproar on social media and triggering a series of global protests against racism. "It's not part of our training, and it is certainly not part of our ethics and our values," said Chief Medaria Arradondo. Also read: George Floyd's girlfriend testifies at Chauvin murder trial Arradondo testified for over 3.5 hours, and attempted to refute the claims by defence that Chauvin was merely acting out based on the training he had received in the force. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges. It is highly unusual for a police chief to testify against their former subordinates. Soon after the incident, Chauvin was fired by Arradondo, along with other officers involved in the incident. Also read: Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror Last year, the chief put out a statement calling it murder - "This was murder — it wasn't a lack of training." "I vehemently disagree that that was appropriate use of force for that situation on May 25," Arradondo testified. "It's contrary to our training to indefinitely place your knee on a prone, handcuffed individual for an indefinite period of time," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Minneapolis police chief says Chauvin violated policy while arresting George Floyd

Police officer Derek Chauvin's use of force against George Floyd was "totally unnecessary," the longest-serving officer in the Minneapolis Police Department has testified.

Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman, testifying for the prosecution on the fifth day of Chauvin's murder and manslaughter trial on Friday, said the sacked 19-year veteran officer had violated department policies on the use of force.

Zimmerman had reviewed bystander video and police bodycam footage of Floyd's May 25, 2020 arrest by Chauvin and three other officers who are also facing charges.

Video shows Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for more than nine minutes following the arrest of the 46-year-old Black man for passing a counterfeit $20 bill in a nearby store.

When asked what he thought about the 45-year-old Chauvin's use of force against Floyd, Zimmerman said: "Totally unnecessary."

"Pulling him down to the ground facedown and putting your knee on a neck for that amount of time, it's just uncalled for," he said.

"I saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger -- if that's what they felt, and that's what they would have to feel -- to use that kind of force," he said.

Floyd's death sparked protests against racial injustice and police brutality across the United States and around the world.

Prosecutors are seeking to prove that Chauvin's actions led to the death of Floyd, who was lying on his stomach, facedown in the street saying repeatedly: "I can't breathe."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/george-floyds-girlfriend-testifies-at-chauvin-murder-trial-374890">Also read |&nbsp;George Floyd's girlfriend testifies at Chauvin murder trial</a>

Eric Nelson, the former officer's defence attorney, claims Floyd died due to illegal drug use and underlying medical conditions.

Zimmerman, who joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 1985 and currently heads the homicide unit, was asked if he had been trained to "kneel on the neck of someone who is handcuffed behind their back in the prone position?"&nbsp;

"No I haven't," he said.

Once a suspect is handcuffed "that person is yours," he said. "He's your responsibility. His safety is your responsibility."

"Once a person is cuffed, the threat level goes down, all the way," he said. "They're cuffed. How can they really hurt you?"

Zimmerman also said that once a suspect is in handcuffs "you need to get them out of the prone position as soon as possible because it restricts their breathing."

"You need to turn them on their side or have them sit up," he said.

Zimmerman's testimony came a day after that of the police sergeant who had been Chauvin's shift supervisor on the day of Floyd's arrest.

David Pleoger, who has since retired, was asked by prosecutors to give his opinion about the use of force in Floyd's arrest.

"When Mr Floyd was no longer offering up any resistance to the officers they could have ended their restraint," Pleoger said.

Derek Smith, a paramedic, testified on Thursday that Chauvin and other police officers were still on top of Floyd when he and a fellow paramedic arrived on the scene.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/minneapolis-cashier-tells-jury-floyd-appeared-chatty-high-before-arrest-374614">Also read |&nbsp;Minneapolis cashier tells jury, Floyd appeared chatty, 'high' before arrest&nbsp;</a>

Smith said he checked the carotid artery in Floyd's neck to see if he had a pulse. "I did not feel one," he said. "In lay terms, I thought he was dead."

Floyd was loaded into an ambulance and the paramedics tried to revive him using chest compressions and a defibrillator. Their efforts were unsuccessful.

Chauvin, who has been in court every day taking meticulous notes and consulting with his attorney, faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge -- second-degree murder. His trial is to resume on Monday and is expected to continue for another three weeks.

The other three former police officers involved in the arrest -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J Alexander Kueng -- are to be tried separately later this year.

(with inputs from agencies)

Police officer Derek Chauvin's use of force against George Floyd was "totally unnecessary," the longest-serving officer in the Minneapolis Police Department has testified.

Police officer Derek Chauvin's use of force against George Floyd was "totally unnecessary," the longest-serving officer in the Minneapolis Police Department has testified. Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman, testifying for the prosecution on the fifth day of Chauvin's murder and manslaughter trial on Friday, said the sacked 19-year veteran officer had violated department policies on the use of force. Zimmerman had reviewed bystander video and police bodycam footage of Floyd's May 25, 2020 arrest by Chauvin and three other officers who are also facing charges. Video shows Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for more than nine minutes following the arrest of the 46-year-old Black man for passing a counterfeit $20 bill in a nearby store. When asked what he thought about the 45-year-old Chauvin's use of force against Floyd, Zimmerman said: "Totally unnecessary." "Pulling him down to the ground facedown and putting your knee on a neck for that amount of time, it's just uncalled for," he said. "I saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger -- if that's what they felt, and that's what they would have to feel -- to use that kind of force," he said. Floyd's death sparked protests against racial injustice and police brutality across the United States and around the world. Prosecutors are seeking to prove that Chauvin's actions led to the death of Floyd, who was lying on his stomach, facedown in the street saying repeatedly: "I can't breathe." Also read | George Floyd's girlfriend testifies at Chauvin murder trial Eric Nelson, the former officer's defence attorney, claims Floyd died due to illegal drug use and underlying medical conditions. Zimmerman, who joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 1985 and currently heads the homicide unit, was asked if he had been trained to "kneel on the neck of someone who is handcuffed behind their back in the prone position?" "No I haven't," he said. Once a suspect is handcuffed "that person is yours," he said. "He's your responsibility. His safety is your responsibility." "Once a person is cuffed, the threat level goes down, all the way," he said. "They're cuffed. How can they really hurt you?" Zimmerman also said that once a suspect is in handcuffs "you need to get them out of the prone position as soon as possible because it restricts their breathing." "You need to turn them on their side or have them sit up," he said. Zimmerman's testimony came a day after that of the police sergeant who had been Chauvin's shift supervisor on the day of Floyd's arrest. David Pleoger, who has since retired, was asked by prosecutors to give his opinion about the use of force in Floyd's arrest. "When Mr Floyd was no longer offering up any resistance to the officers they could have ended their restraint," Pleoger said. Derek Smith, a paramedic, testified on Thursday that Chauvin and other police officers were still on top of Floyd when he and a fellow paramedic arrived on the scene. Also read | Minneapolis cashier tells jury, Floyd appeared chatty, 'high' before arrest Smith said he checked the carotid artery in Floyd's neck to see if he had a pulse. "I did not feel one," he said. "In lay terms, I thought he was dead." Floyd was loaded into an ambulance and the paramedics tried to revive him using chest compressions and a defibrillator. Their efforts were unsuccessful. Chauvin, who has been in court every day taking meticulous notes and consulting with his attorney, faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge -- second-degree murder. His trial is to resume on Monday and is expected to continue for another three weeks. The other three former police officers involved in the arrest -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J Alexander Kueng -- are to be tried separately later this year. (with inputs from agencies)

Chauvin's use of force on Floyd 'totally unnecessary', senior officer testifies

For two weeks, Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola had been under pressure from activists and Black executives who wanted the companies to publicly oppose a new law in Georgia that makes it harder for people to vote. On Wednesday, six days after the law was passed, both companies stated their “crystal clear” opposition to it.

Now Republicans are mad at the companies for speaking out. Hours after the companies made their statements, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, took aim at Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta, accusing him of spreading “the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists.” And Republicans in the Georgia state legislature floated the idea of increasing taxes on Delta as retribution.

On Thursday, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida posted a video in which he called Delta and Coca-Cola “woke corporate hypocrites.” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said Coca-Cola was “caving to the ‘woke’ left.” And Stephen Miller, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, said on Twitter, “Unelected, multinational corporations are now openly attacking sovereign U.S. states &amp; the right of their citizens to secure their own elections. This is a corporate ambush on Democracy.”

It was another illustration of just how fraught it is for big companies to wade in to partisan politics, where any support for the left draws the ire of the right, and vice versa.

Other big Georgia companies have managed to stay on the sidelines. UPS, which is based in Atlanta, also refrained from criticizing the new law before it was passed. On Thursday, the company said it “believes that voting laws and legislation should make it easier, not harder, for Americans to exercise their right to vote.” It made no mention of the law.

For two weeks, Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola had been under pressure from activists and Black executives who wanted the companies to publicly oppose a new law in Georgia that makes it harder for people to vote.

For two weeks, Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola had been under pressure from activists and Black executives who wanted the companies to publicly oppose a new law in Georgia that makes it harder for people to vote. On Wednesday, six days after the law was passed, both companies stated their “crystal clear” opposition to it. Now Republicans are mad at the companies for speaking out. Hours after the companies made their statements, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, took aim at Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta, accusing him of spreading “the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists.” And Republicans in the Georgia state legislature floated the idea of increasing taxes on Delta as retribution. On Thursday, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida posted a video in which he called Delta and Coca-Cola “woke corporate hypocrites.” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said Coca-Cola was “caving to the ‘woke’ left.” And Stephen Miller, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, said on Twitter, “Unelected, multinational corporations are now openly attacking sovereign U.S. states & the right of their citizens to secure their own elections. This is a corporate ambush on Democracy.” It was another illustration of just how fraught it is for big companies to wade in to partisan politics, where any support for the left draws the ire of the right, and vice versa. Other big Georgia companies have managed to stay on the sidelines. UPS, which is based in Atlanta, also refrained from criticizing the new law before it was passed. On Thursday, the company said it “believes that voting laws and legislation should make it easier, not harder, for Americans to exercise their right to vote.” It made no mention of the law.

Delta and Coca-Cola face backlash on voting stance

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday warned that anti-white racism might be building in the United States and said that political correctness "taken to the extreme" would have lamentable consequences.

In an interview with political scientists broadcast on national television, Moscow's top diplomat said Russia had long supported a worldwide trend that "everyone wants to get rid of racism".

"We were pioneers of the movement promoting equal rights of people of any skin colour," he said.

But Lavrov stressed it was important "not to switch to the other extreme which we saw during the 'BLM' (Black Lives Matter) events and the aggression against white people, white US citizens."

Founded in the United States in 2013, Black Lives Matter is a movement which became a rallying cry after the killing by US police of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, last May.

The movement has led to a major debate about race, rights of people of colour and the toppling of statues of figures linked to slavery or colonisation in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Lavrov accused the United States of seeking to spread what he called "a cultural revolution" around the world.

"They have colossal possibilities for it," he said in the interview.

"Hollywood is now also changing its rules so that everything reflects the diversity of modern society," he said, calling that "a form of censorship."

"I've seen Black people play in Shakespeare's comedies. Only I don't know when there will be a white Othello," Lavrov said.

"You see this is absurd. Political correctness taken to the point of absurdity will not end well."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday warned that anti-white racism might be building in the United States and said that political correctness "taken to the extreme" would have lamentable consequences.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday warned that anti-white racism might be building in the United States and said that political correctness "taken to the extreme" would have lamentable consequences. In an interview with political scientists broadcast on national television, Moscow's top diplomat said Russia had long supported a worldwide trend that "everyone wants to get rid of racism". "We were pioneers of the movement promoting equal rights of people of any skin colour," he said. But Lavrov stressed it was important "not to switch to the other extreme which we saw during the 'BLM' (Black Lives Matter) events and the aggression against white people, white US citizens." Founded in the United States in 2013, Black Lives Matter is a movement which became a rallying cry after the killing by US police of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, last May. The movement has led to a major debate about race, rights of people of colour and the toppling of statues of figures linked to slavery or colonisation in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. Lavrov accused the United States of seeking to spread what he called "a cultural revolution" around the world. "They have colossal possibilities for it," he said in the interview. "Hollywood is now also changing its rules so that everything reflects the diversity of modern society," he said, calling that "a form of censorship." "I've seen Black people play in Shakespeare's comedies. Only I don't know when there will be a white Othello," Lavrov said. "You see this is absurd. Political correctness taken to the point of absurdity will not end well."

Russia warns of 'anti-white aggression' in US

The girlfriend of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was mercilessly killed by a police officer in Minneapolis last year, took the witness stand on Thursday. She spoke about how their relationship progressed, and how an addiction to painkillers took hold of their life together.

The death of Floyd had set off protests across the United States and around the world over racial injustice and police brutality against Black people -- in the form of Black Lives Matter movement.

Courteney Ross, 45, was the first witness who personally knew Floyd to testify at the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis policeman charged with murdering the man she loved by kneeling on his neck during an arrest last May.

In her testimony, Ross described how her romance with Floyd began in 2017 when he offered to pray with her. She also spoke about addiction: as with millions of other Americans, Floyd and Ross struggled to quit opioids.

They both suffered from chronic pain: Courteney's was in my neck, his was in his back.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/minneapolis-cashier-tells-jury-floyd-appeared-chatty-high-before-arrest-374614">Also read |&nbsp;Minneapolis cashier tells jury, Floyd appeared chatty, 'high' before arrest&nbsp;</a>

Prosecutors wanted the jury to hear Ross's frank account of opioid use to undermine a central plank of Chauvin's defence in a trial seen as a litmus test of accountability in US policing.

Chauvin's lawyers argue that Floyd's death, which the county medical examiner ruled a homicide at the hands of police, was really an overdose from the fentanyl found in his blood at an autopsy.

Prosecutors have said Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, has sought to raise the drug use in an effort to muddy Floyd's character and that the theory would be contradicted by medical evidence.

Nelson seemed to acknowledge the sensitivity when he stood up to cross-examine Ross: "I'm sorry to hear about your struggles with opioid addiction," he began. "Thank you for sharing that with the jury."

When asked by prosecutors in the fourth day of witness testimony how she first met Floyd, Ross said she first met Floyd in August 2017 at a Salvation Army homeless shelter, where he worked as a security guard. She was waiting in the lobby to visit the father of her son after closing up the coffee shop where she worked. Floyd approached her.

"Floyd has this great, deep, southern voice, raspy," she said, "and he was, like, 'Sis'? You OK, sis'?'"

He sensed she felt sad and alone and offered to pray with her.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/witnesses-to-george-floyds-deadly-arrest-tell-jury-of-their-shock-horror-374391">Also read |&nbsp;Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror</a>

"It was so sweet," Ross said, dabbing a tissue to her eyes. "At the time I had lost a lot of faith in God."

They had their first kiss in the lobby that night and except an occasional break were together until his death, she said.

In his cellphone, Floyd listed Ross, a mother of two, as 'Mama.'

They took walks in the parks and around the lakes of Ross's native Minneapolis, which was still new to the Texas-raised Floyd, and dined out often: "He was a big man," she said, describing his daily weightlifting, "and it look a lot of energy to keep him going."

She said he adored his two young daughters and was a "mama's boy."

After his mother's death in 2018 he seemed "kind of like a shell of himself, like he was broken."

At times the couple took prescribed painkillers. At other times they bought OxyContin and other pills on the black market. Sometimes they beat the habit; sometimes they relapsed. 
"Addiction, in my opinion, is a lifelong struggle," she said. "It's not something that comes and goes, it's something I'll deal with forever."

Ross said her last conversation with Floyd was on May 24, when they spoke on the telephone.

A day later, Floyd was pinned under Chauvin's knee, under arrest on suspicion of buying cigarettes at a food store with a counterfeit $20 bill.

The jury has heard three days' of testimony by onlookers who said they screamed at Chauvin and other officers, imploring them to check Floyd's pulse.

On Thursday, paramedics who arrived at the scene testified that they had to move police off Floyd, who by then had stopped breathing, had no pulse and whose pupils were dilated.

(with inputs from agencies)

The girlfriend of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was mercilessly killed by a police officer in Minneapolis last year, took the witness stand on Thursday.

The girlfriend of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was mercilessly killed by a police officer in Minneapolis last year, took the witness stand on Thursday. She spoke about how their relationship progressed, and how an addiction to painkillers took hold of their life together. The death of Floyd had set off protests across the United States and around the world over racial injustice and police brutality against Black people -- in the form of Black Lives Matter movement. Courteney Ross, 45, was the first witness who personally knew Floyd to testify at the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis policeman charged with murdering the man she loved by kneeling on his neck during an arrest last May. In her testimony, Ross described how her romance with Floyd began in 2017 when he offered to pray with her. She also spoke about addiction: as with millions of other Americans, Floyd and Ross struggled to quit opioids. They both suffered from chronic pain: Courteney's was in my neck, his was in his back. Also read | Minneapolis cashier tells jury, Floyd appeared chatty, 'high' before arrest Prosecutors wanted the jury to hear Ross's frank account of opioid use to undermine a central plank of Chauvin's defence in a trial seen as a litmus test of accountability in US policing. Chauvin's lawyers argue that Floyd's death, which the county medical examiner ruled a homicide at the hands of police, was really an overdose from the fentanyl found in his blood at an autopsy. Prosecutors have said Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, has sought to raise the drug use in an effort to muddy Floyd's character and that the theory would be contradicted by medical evidence. Nelson seemed to acknowledge the sensitivity when he stood up to cross-examine Ross: "I'm sorry to hear about your struggles with opioid addiction," he began. "Thank you for sharing that with the jury." When asked by prosecutors in the fourth day of witness testimony how she first met Floyd, Ross said she first met Floyd in August 2017 at a Salvation Army homeless shelter, where he worked as a security guard. She was waiting in the lobby to visit the father of her son after closing up the coffee shop where she worked. Floyd approached her. "Floyd has this great, deep, southern voice, raspy," she said, "and he was, like, 'Sis'? You OK, sis'?'" He sensed she felt sad and alone and offered to pray with her. Also read | Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror "It was so sweet," Ross said, dabbing a tissue to her eyes. "At the time I had lost a lot of faith in God." They had their first kiss in the lobby that night and except an occasional break were together until his death, she said. In his cellphone, Floyd listed Ross, a mother of two, as 'Mama.' They took walks in the parks and around the lakes of Ross's native Minneapolis, which was still new to the Texas-raised Floyd, and dined out often: "He was a big man," she said, describing his daily weightlifting, "and it look a lot of energy to keep him going." She said he adored his two young daughters and was a "mama's boy." After his mother's death in 2018 he seemed "kind of like a shell of himself, like he was broken." At times the couple took prescribed painkillers. At other times they bought OxyContin and other pills on the black market. Sometimes they beat the habit; sometimes they relapsed. "Addiction, in my opinion, is a lifelong struggle," she said. "It's not something that comes and goes, it's something I'll deal with forever." Ross said her last conversation with Floyd was on May 24, when they spoke on the telephone. A day later, Floyd was pinned under Chauvin's knee, under arrest on suspicion of buying cigarettes at a food store with a counterfeit $20 bill. The jury has heard three days' of testimony by onlookers who said they screamed at Chauvin and other officers, imploring them to check Floyd's pulse. On Thursday, paramedics who arrived at the scene testified that they had to move police off Floyd, who by then had stopped breathing, had no pulse and whose pupils were dilated. (with inputs from agencies)

George Floyd's girlfriend testifies at Chauvin murder trial

George Floyd’s girlfriend told the Derek Chauvin murder trial that the couple shared addiction to opioid painkillers that they struggled to overcome in the weeks before his death.

George Floyd Murder Trial Day 3: Floyd’s girlfriend details their opioid addiction

Seven sheriff’s officers in Collin County, Texas, were fired Thursday in connection with the death of Marvin Scott III, a 26-year-old Black man who died after being restrained at the county jail last month.

“Evidence I have seen confirms that these detention officers violated well-established Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures,” Sheriff Jim Skinner said in a statement, adding that an eighth officer had resigned.

Police in Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas, arrested Scott on a marijuana possession charge on March 14. He had less than 2 ounces of the drug, according to the authorities — a misdemeanor.

The police said they had taken Scott to a hospital because he was acting erratically. He was then taken to the county jail, where county officers restrained him and pepper-sprayed him. A spit hood was placed over his head. He died later that night.

Every evening for more than two weeks, members of Scott’s family have been gathering to protest outside the Collin County Jail, demanding transparency and accountability.

“We want to know, how did my son die?” Scott’s mother, LaSandra Scott, said at a news conference last week, according to NBC 5. “We want answers.”

Marvin Scott had a schizophrenia diagnosis and sometimes used marijuana as a form of self-medication when his prescription medication did not work well, according to S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the family.

Amy Gruszecki, a forensic pathologist who performed a second autopsy on Scott after his body was examined by the Collin County medical examiner, said at the news conference that according to her preliminary findings, it was possible that asphyxiation, as well as a physical struggle against his restraint, might have contributed to Scott’s death.

The county medical examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Merritt said the county’s autopsy results had yet to be released.

The officers who were fired Thursday had been placed on administrative leave after Scott’s death. The sheriff’s office opened an internal investigation into the episode, and the Texas Rangers, a state law enforcement agency, is conducting a criminal investigation.

Merritt said the family was asking for the officers involved to be arrested and for the release of security camera footage from the jail on the night of Scott’s death.

“They laid Marvin to rest on the 30th, just a couple days ago,” he said. “The family continues to protest every night along with other members of the community.”

The firings in Texas were announced during the trial in Minnesota of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck before Floyd died on May 25, prompting nationwide protests. Holding law enforcement officers accountable in the United States has long been difficult, in part because of powerful police unions and a legal system that gives wide latitude for officers to use force.

At a March 19 news conference, Skinner called Scott’s death a tragedy and said he had met with Scott’s relatives.

According to a statement from the Allen Police Department, police officers encountered Scott on March 14 while responding to a disturbance call at an outlet mall and “were concerned for his safety due to the possible ingestion of drugs.”

Scott was taken to an emergency room, where he remained for three hours before being released with a physician’s clearance, the police statement said. It added that he had been taken to the police headquarters in Allen before being transferred to the Collin County Jail in McKinney.

Skinner said the police had taken Scott to the county jail shortly before 6:30 p.m. “While in the booking area, Mr. Scott exhibited some strange behavior,” he said. “Several detention officers tried to secure him to the restraint bed, and during the process used O.C. spray once, and also placed a spit mask on his face.”

O.C. spray — its formal name is oleoresin capsicum — can also be referred to as pepper spray. Skinner described a spit mask as “a mask that fits over one’s head. It has a net on it in order to keep spittle from being spit on another person.”

The sheriff said that Scott had become unresponsive around 10:30. He added that the Texas Rangers, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening, were examining video footage of the episode.

Seven sheriff’s officers in Collin County, Texas, were fired Thursday in connection with the death of Marvin Scott III, a 26-year-old Black man who died after being restrained at the county jail last month.

Seven sheriff’s officers in Collin County, Texas, were fired Thursday in connection with the death of Marvin Scott III, a 26-year-old Black man who died after being restrained at the county jail last month. “Evidence I have seen confirms that these detention officers violated well-established Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures,” Sheriff Jim Skinner said in a statement, adding that an eighth officer had resigned. Police in Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas, arrested Scott on a marijuana possession charge on March 14. He had less than 2 ounces of the drug, according to the authorities — a misdemeanor. The police said they had taken Scott to a hospital because he was acting erratically. He was then taken to the county jail, where county officers restrained him and pepper-sprayed him. A spit hood was placed over his head. He died later that night. Every evening for more than two weeks, members of Scott’s family have been gathering to protest outside the Collin County Jail, demanding transparency and accountability. “We want to know, how did my son die?” Scott’s mother, LaSandra Scott, said at a news conference last week, according to NBC 5. “We want answers.” Marvin Scott had a schizophrenia diagnosis and sometimes used marijuana as a form of self-medication when his prescription medication did not work well, according to S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the family. Amy Gruszecki, a forensic pathologist who performed a second autopsy on Scott after his body was examined by the Collin County medical examiner, said at the news conference that according to her preliminary findings, it was possible that asphyxiation, as well as a physical struggle against his restraint, might have contributed to Scott’s death. The county medical examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Merritt said the county’s autopsy results had yet to be released. The officers who were fired Thursday had been placed on administrative leave after Scott’s death. The sheriff’s office opened an internal investigation into the episode, and the Texas Rangers, a state law enforcement agency, is conducting a criminal investigation. Merritt said the family was asking for the officers involved to be arrested and for the release of security camera footage from the jail on the night of Scott’s death. “They laid Marvin to rest on the 30th, just a couple days ago,” he said. “The family continues to protest every night along with other members of the community.” The firings in Texas were announced during the trial in Minnesota of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck before Floyd died on May 25, prompting nationwide protests. Holding law enforcement officers accountable in the United States has long been difficult, in part because of powerful police unions and a legal system that gives wide latitude for officers to use force. At a March 19 news conference, Skinner called Scott’s death a tragedy and said he had met with Scott’s relatives. According to a statement from the Allen Police Department, police officers encountered Scott on March 14 while responding to a disturbance call at an outlet mall and “were concerned for his safety due to the possible ingestion of drugs.” Scott was taken to an emergency room, where he remained for three hours before being released with a physician’s clearance, the police statement said. It added that he had been taken to the police headquarters in Allen before being transferred to the Collin County Jail in McKinney. Skinner said the police had taken Scott to the county jail shortly before 6:30 p.m. “While in the booking area, Mr. Scott exhibited some strange behavior,” he said. “Several detention officers tried to secure him to the restraint bed, and during the process used O.C. spray once, and also placed a spit mask on his face.” O.C. spray — its formal name is oleoresin capsicum — can also be referred to as pepper spray. Skinner described a spit mask as “a mask that fits over one’s head. It has a net on it in order to keep spittle from being spit on another person.” The sheriff said that Scott had become unresponsive around 10:30. He added that the Texas Rangers, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening, were examining video footage of the episode.

Seven Texas officers are fired in death of Black man restrained in jail

During the third day at the trial of the former officer Derek Chauvin, new footage from inside a convenience store in Minneapolis was played and that's why George Floyd was taken into custody by the police.

George Floyd Murder Trial Day 3: New footage from inside a convenience store played

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday&nbsp;accused the United States of seeking to spread what he called "a cultural revolution" around the world.

In an interview with political scientists broadcast on national television, Moscow's top diplomat said&nbsp;"they have colossal possibilities for it.''

"Hollywood is now also changing its rules so that everything reflects the diversity of modern society," he said, calling that "a form of censorship."

"I've seen Black people play in Shakespeare's comedies. Only I don't know when there will be a white Othello," Lavrov said.

"You see this is absurd. Political correctness taken to the point of absurdity will not end well."

Lavrov warned that anti-white racism might be building in the United States and said that political correctness "taken to the extreme" would have lamentable consequences.

Calling Russia a supporter of&nbsp;the worldwide trend, Lavrov said that "everyone wants to get rid of racism".

"We were pioneers of the movement promoting equal rights of people of any skin colour," he said.

But Lavrov stressed it was important "not to switch to the other extreme which we saw during the 'BLM' (Black Lives Matter) events and the aggression against white people, white US citizens."

Founded in the United States in 2013, Black Lives Matter is a movement that became a rallying cry after the killing by US police of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, last May.

The movement has led to a major debate about race, rights of people of colour and the toppling of statues of figures linked to slavery or colonisation in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to spread what he called "a cultural revolution" around the world. In an interview with political scientists broadcast on national television, Moscow's top diplomat said "they have colossal possibilities for it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to spread what he called "a cultural revolution" around the world. In an interview with political scientists broadcast on national television, Moscow's top diplomat said "they have colossal possibilities for it.'' "Hollywood is now also changing its rules so that everything reflects the diversity of modern society," he said, calling that "a form of censorship." "I've seen Black people play in Shakespeare's comedies. Only I don't know when there will be a white Othello," Lavrov said. "You see this is absurd. Political correctness taken to the point of absurdity will not end well." Lavrov warned that anti-white racism might be building in the United States and said that political correctness "taken to the extreme" would have lamentable consequences. Calling Russia a supporter of the worldwide trend, Lavrov said that "everyone wants to get rid of racism". "We were pioneers of the movement promoting equal rights of people of any skin colour," he said. But Lavrov stressed it was important "not to switch to the other extreme which we saw during the 'BLM' (Black Lives Matter) events and the aggression against white people, white US citizens." Founded in the United States in 2013, Black Lives Matter is a movement that became a rallying cry after the killing by US police of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, last May. The movement has led to a major debate about race, rights of people of colour and the toppling of statues of figures linked to slavery or colonisation in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Russia accuses US of seeking to spread 'cultural revolution' worldwide

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has concluded that "institutional racism" does not exist in the UK.

"What we have seen is that the term ‘institutional racism’ is sometimes wrongly applied and it’s been a sort of a catch-all phrase for micro-aggressions or acts of racial abuse. Also people use it interchangeably – systematic racism, structural racism [are] just being used wrongly," No. 10's commission’s chairman, Dr Tony Sewell, said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

While the report does agree that racism does exist in the country, it also boasts about achievements elsewhere and claims the country should be "a model for other white-majority countries".

The report is 264 pages long and has 24 recommendations, but has failed to impress the masses.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/george-floyd-murder-trial-day-3-new-footage-from-inside-a-convenience-store-played-374631">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/george-floyd-murder-trial-day-3-new-footage-from-inside-a-convenience-store-played-374631/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Locals have slammed the commission and accused them of forcibly pushing the idea of structural racism.

"The well-meaning idealism of many young people who claim the country is still institutionally racist is not borne out by the evidence," the report claims.

However, the masses disagree as they feel the report "fails to explore disproportionality in school exclusion, eurocentrism and censorship in the curriculum, or the ongoing attainment gap in higher education," a spokesperson for Black Lives Matter UK said.&nbsp;

"We are also disappointed to learn that the report overlooks disproportionality in the criminal justice system – particularly as police racism served as the catalyst for last summer’s protests. Black people in England and Wales are nine times more likely to be imprisoned than their white peers, and yet, four years on, the recommendations from the Lammy review are yet to be implemented," the spokesperson added.

The communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, has also reported that while the report suggests progress has been made in the past few years, the prime minister Boris Johnson believes "there was more work to be done".

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has concluded that "institutional racism" does not exist in the UK. "What we have seen is that the term ‘institutional racism’ is sometimes wrongly applied and it’s been a sort of a catch-all phrase for micro-aggressions or acts of racial abuse.

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has concluded that "institutional racism" does not exist in the UK. "What we have seen is that the term ‘institutional racism’ is sometimes wrongly applied and it’s been a sort of a catch-all phrase for micro-aggressions or acts of racial abuse. Also people use it interchangeably – systematic racism, structural racism [are] just being used wrongly," No. 10's commission’s chairman, Dr Tony Sewell, said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. While the report does agree that racism does exist in the country, it also boasts about achievements elsewhere and claims the country should be "a model for other white-majority countries". The report is 264 pages long and has 24 recommendations, but has failed to impress the masses. Watch | Locals have slammed the commission and accused them of forcibly pushing the idea of structural racism. "The well-meaning idealism of many young people who claim the country is still institutionally racist is not borne out by the evidence," the report claims. However, the masses disagree as they feel the report "fails to explore disproportionality in school exclusion, eurocentrism and censorship in the curriculum, or the ongoing attainment gap in higher education," a spokesperson for Black Lives Matter UK said. "We are also disappointed to learn that the report overlooks disproportionality in the criminal justice system – particularly as police racism served as the catalyst for last summer’s protests. Black people in England and Wales are nine times more likely to be imprisoned than their white peers, and yet, four years on, the recommendations from the Lammy review are yet to be implemented," the spokesperson added. The communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, has also reported that while the report suggests progress has been made in the past few years, the prime minister Boris Johnson believes "there was more work to be done".

UK does not have 'institutional racism'; UK model of racial equality: Downing Street

Day 2 of George Floyd'S murder trial was marked by the emotional testimonies of eyewitnesses. The onlookers claimed that they grew increasingly angry as they beg Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin to take his knees off George Floyd's neck however he refused to listen.

George Floyd Murder Trial Day 2: Emotionally jarring testimony by underage eyewitness

Prosecution witnesses on Tuesday described in searing detail their horror in watching the final moments of George Floyd`s life as they testified against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis policeman charged with Floyd`s murder. 
 
Jurors listened with visible sympathy as they heard from the teenager who recorded a video viewed by millions worldwide that shows Chauvin, who is white, using his knee to pin the neck of Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, to the ground. 
 
Darnella Frazier, an 18-year-old student who told the court she suffers from social anxiety, broke down in tears as she described her feelings of guilt and anger after witnessing the arrest on May 25, 2020. 
 
"He had this cold look, heartless," Frazier said, as Chauvin listened alongside his lawyer at a nearby table, taking notes in a yellow legal pad. 
 
Before her testimony, a professional mixed martial arts fighter spoke about his increasing agitation as he watched the prone Floyd struggle for breath. Later in the day, a uniformed firefighter who was at the scene while off duty described her distress at Chauvin and other officers stopping her from giving chest compressions to Floyd, who was by then unconscious. 
 
"Mr. Chauvin seemed very comfortable with the majority of his weight balanced on top of Mr. Floyd," Genevieve Hansen, who took the stand in her white Minneapolis Fire Department uniform with a badge and black tie, told jurors. "In my memory, he had his hand in his pocket." 
 
Frazier`s footage, which prosecutors say shows excessive force, led to one of the largest protest movements seen in the United States in decades, with daily marches against disproportionate rates of police violence against Black people. 
 
Lawyers for Chauvin, 45, say he followed his police training and is not guilty of the charges brought by the Minnesota attorney general`s office of second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter. 
 
`I BELIEVE I WITNESSED A MURDER` 
 
Donald Williams, the mixed martial arts fighter, can be heard in bystander videos screaming insults at Chauvin and demanding police check for Floyd`s pulse. He told jurors he believed that Chauvin was using his knee in a "blood choke" on Floyd, a wrestling move to knock an opponent unconscious, and a "shimmy" move to tighten pressure on Floyd`s neck. 
 
A 911 call Williams made after the arrest was played. Williams dabbed his eyes with a tissue as his distressed voice filled the courtroom. 
 
"I believe I witnessed a murder," Williams, 33, told the jury. "So I felt I needed to call the police on the police." 
 
Chauvin`s lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, has sought to convince the jury that Chauvin may have felt threatened by bystanders, which prosecutors dispute. 
 
In a sometimes tense cross-examination, Nelson read aloud the insults, some of them obscene, that Williams hurls at Chauvin in the video. 
 
"You call him a `tough guy`?" Nelson asked, demanding only a `yes` or `no` answer. Williams looked away with a slight smile as each insult was read out. 
 
"You call him a `bum` at least 13 times?" Nelson continued. 
 
"If that`s what you count in the video," Williams replied, smiling again, "then that`s what you got: 13." 
 
Later on Tuesday, Hensen said she was rebuffed by another policeman when she sought aid for Floyd. She testified the other officer told her: "If you really are a Minneapolis firefighter, you would know better than to get involved." 
 
She can be heard on the video screaming at the police to check Floyd`s pulse. "I pled and was desperate," she said. A water bottle shook in her hand as she sipped it to calm her tears. 
 
"It`s what I would have done for anybody," she said. 
 
CHILD WITNESSES 
 
Frazier was walking her 9-year-old cousin to buy some snacks at Cup Foods, where a worker had moments before accused Floyd of using a fake $20 bill, when she saw police arresting Floyd on the road outside. 
 
She began to cry when prosecutors brought up a still from her video, showing the moment when Chauvin, his knee on Floyd`s neck, appears to look directly into Frazier`s camera lens. 
 
She was asked by both sides how producing the most famous record of Floyd`s death had changed her life. 
 
"When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles, because they are all Black," she said. "It could have been one of them." 
 
She said she would sometimes stay up late at night thinking of Floyd, apologising to him for "not saving his life." 
 
Minutes later, Frazier`s young cousin, her hair in braids, took her place in the witness stand, saying in a small voice she recognized Chauvin as the man she saw kneeling on Floyd. 
 
"I was sad," the girl said, "and kind of mad."

Prosecution witnesses on Tuesday described in searing detail their horror in watching the final moments of George Floyd`s life as they testified against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis policeman charged with Floyd`s murder.

Prosecution witnesses on Tuesday described in searing detail their horror in watching the final moments of George Floyd`s life as they testified against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis policeman charged with Floyd`s murder. Jurors listened with visible sympathy as they heard from the teenager who recorded a video viewed by millions worldwide that shows Chauvin, who is white, using his knee to pin the neck of Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, to the ground. Darnella Frazier, an 18-year-old student who told the court she suffers from social anxiety, broke down in tears as she described her feelings of guilt and anger after witnessing the arrest on May 25, 2020. "He had this cold look, heartless," Frazier said, as Chauvin listened alongside his lawyer at a nearby table, taking notes in a yellow legal pad. Before her testimony, a professional mixed martial arts fighter spoke about his increasing agitation as he watched the prone Floyd struggle for breath. Later in the day, a uniformed firefighter who was at the scene while off duty described her distress at Chauvin and other officers stopping her from giving chest compressions to Floyd, who was by then unconscious. "Mr. Chauvin seemed very comfortable with the majority of his weight balanced on top of Mr. Floyd," Genevieve Hansen, who took the stand in her white Minneapolis Fire Department uniform with a badge and black tie, told jurors. "In my memory, he had his hand in his pocket." Frazier`s footage, which prosecutors say shows excessive force, led to one of the largest protest movements seen in the United States in decades, with daily marches against disproportionate rates of police violence against Black people. Lawyers for Chauvin, 45, say he followed his police training and is not guilty of the charges brought by the Minnesota attorney general`s office of second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter. `I BELIEVE I WITNESSED A MURDER` Donald Williams, the mixed martial arts fighter, can be heard in bystander videos screaming insults at Chauvin and demanding police check for Floyd`s pulse. He told jurors he believed that Chauvin was using his knee in a "blood choke" on Floyd, a wrestling move to knock an opponent unconscious, and a "shimmy" move to tighten pressure on Floyd`s neck. A 911 call Williams made after the arrest was played. Williams dabbed his eyes with a tissue as his distressed voice filled the courtroom. "I believe I witnessed a murder," Williams, 33, told the jury. "So I felt I needed to call the police on the police." Chauvin`s lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, has sought to convince the jury that Chauvin may have felt threatened by bystanders, which prosecutors dispute. In a sometimes tense cross-examination, Nelson read aloud the insults, some of them obscene, that Williams hurls at Chauvin in the video. "You call him a `tough guy`?" Nelson asked, demanding only a `yes` or `no` answer. Williams looked away with a slight smile as each insult was read out. "You call him a `bum` at least 13 times?" Nelson continued. "If that`s what you count in the video," Williams replied, smiling again, "then that`s what you got: 13." Later on Tuesday, Hensen said she was rebuffed by another policeman when she sought aid for Floyd. She testified the other officer told her: "If you really are a Minneapolis firefighter, you would know better than to get involved." She can be heard on the video screaming at the police to check Floyd`s pulse. "I pled and was desperate," she said. A water bottle shook in her hand as she sipped it to calm her tears. "It`s what I would have done for anybody," she said. CHILD WITNESSES Frazier was walking her 9-year-old cousin to buy some snacks at Cup Foods, where a worker had moments before accused Floyd of using a fake $20 bill, when she saw police arresting Floyd on the road outside. She began to cry when prosecutors brought up a still from her video, showing the moment when Chauvin, his knee on Floyd`s neck, appears to look directly into Frazier`s camera lens. She was asked by both sides how producing the most famous record of Floyd`s death had changed her life. "When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles, because they are all Black," she said. "It could have been one of them." She said she would sometimes stay up late at night thinking of Floyd, apologising to him for "not saving his life." Minutes later, Frazier`s young cousin, her hair in braids, took her place in the witness stand, saying in a small voice she recognized Chauvin as the man she saw kneeling on Floyd. "I was sad," the girl said, "and kind of mad."

Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror

Two ex-sheriff’s deputies in Texas have been indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of a Black driver whom they repeatedly shocked with a Taser during a 2019 traffic stop despite his pleas that he had heart disease and could not breathe, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

The former Williamson County deputies, James Johnson and Zachary Camden, had been accompanied by a television crew from the reality television show “Live PD” at the time of their fatal encounter with Javier Ambler, 40, whom they were pursuing for failing to dim his lights to oncoming traffic.

The charges against Johnson and Camden were announced by José Garza, the district attorney in neighboring Travis County, which includes Austin, Texas, where Ambler crashed his vehicle after the police pursued him over a traffic violation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/witnesses-to-george-floyds-deadly-arrest-tell-jury-of-their-shock-horror-374391" hreflang="en">Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror</a>

“With these indictments, we have taken another critical step towards justice for the Ambler family and for our community,” Garza said in a statement. “While we can never take away the pain of the Ambler family, the grand jury has sent a clear message that no one is above the law.”

Ken Ervin and Doug O’Connell, the lawyers for Johnson and Camden, said in a joint statement Tuesday that Ambler had led the former deputies on a chase for 22 minutes after a series of collisions and had resisted arrest.

“Mr. Ambler’s physical exertion in resisting the three officers it took to get him into handcuffs no doubt contributed to his medical emergency, but Mr. Johnson and Mr. Camden are neither morally nor legally responsible for his death,” the statement said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-edge-again-america-watches-developments-closely-374369" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-edge-again-america-watches-developments-closely-374369&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwim9YKultrvAhV24HMBHWD7BD4QFjAGegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UPzYIETA_lGtk_m3-vU19" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-edge-again-america-watches-developments-closely-374369" target="_blank">On the edge again, America watches developments closely</a>

The lawyers for the former deputies accused Garza of trying to score political points with the indictments, which came a few weeks after Garza announced that a grand jury had returned an indictment against an Austin police officer in the shooting death of a man last year that touched off protests against police violence in the state capital. The lawyers also represent the officer in that case.

Bail was set at $150,000 for Johnson and Camden; both have been released. Their lawyers said the former deputies intended to plead not guilty and turned themselves in Tuesday after their indictments were signed Monday.

Ambler’s father, Javier Ambler Sr., thanked Garza in a statement for pursuing charges against the former deputies.

“Our goal has always been to hold these officers accountable so that there are no more families who have to suffer like ours has,” the statement said.

On March 28, 2019, Williamson County deputies tried to stop Javier Ambler because the vehicle he was driving did not dim its lights to traffic, officials said. After deputies tried to pull Ambler over, the authorities said, he kept driving for more than 20 minutes and crashed his vehicle in downtown Austin.

There, deputies used a Taser on Ambler several times.

“I have congestive heart failure,” Ambler could be heard saying on the body camera video. “I can’t breathe.” As he and the deputies struggled, Ambler said, “Save me.” One deputy yelled, “Do what we’re asking you to do.”

Ambler was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin and pronounced dead just after 2:30 a.m.

The indictments of the former deputies brought the number of people charged in connection with Ambler’s death to four. Last year, the county’s sheriff at the time of Ambler’s death, Robert Chody, was arrested on an evidence tampering charge related to destruction of recordings of the encounter. He has pleaded not guilty, along with Jason Nassour, a Williamson County assistant attorney, who was also charged with evidence tampering.

“Live PD,” which premiered on A&amp;E in 2016, previously broadcast police officers around the country as they made traffic stops, responded to calls and went on high-speed chases. The show was almost live; a delay helped avoid airing footage that was particularly disturbing.

A disclaimer at the beginning of each broadcast told viewers that “all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.” The show did not cover what happened to people who had been arrested. Sometimes, people being filmed shielded their faces or objected to the presence of cameras.

Television shows about policing attracted scrutiny last summer amid nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in May, and in June, A&amp;E announced that it had ceased production of “Live PD.”

Representatives of A&amp;E did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Two ex-sheriff’s deputies in Texas have been indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of a Black driver whom they repeatedly shocked with a Taser during a 2019 traffic stop despite his pleas that he had heart disease and could not breathe, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Two ex-sheriff’s deputies in Texas have been indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of a Black driver whom they repeatedly shocked with a Taser during a 2019 traffic stop despite his pleas that he had heart disease and could not breathe, a prosecutor said Tuesday. The former Williamson County deputies, James Johnson and Zachary Camden, had been accompanied by a television crew from the reality television show “Live PD” at the time of their fatal encounter with Javier Ambler, 40, whom they were pursuing for failing to dim his lights to oncoming traffic. The charges against Johnson and Camden were announced by José Garza, the district attorney in neighboring Travis County, which includes Austin, Texas, where Ambler crashed his vehicle after the police pursued him over a traffic violation. Also read | Witnesses to George Floyd's deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror “With these indictments, we have taken another critical step towards justice for the Ambler family and for our community,” Garza said in a statement. “While we can never take away the pain of the Ambler family, the grand jury has sent a clear message that no one is above the law.” Ken Ervin and Doug O’Connell, the lawyers for Johnson and Camden, said in a joint statement Tuesday that Ambler had led the former deputies on a chase for 22 minutes after a series of collisions and had resisted arrest. “Mr. Ambler’s physical exertion in resisting the three officers it took to get him into handcuffs no doubt contributed to his medical emergency, but Mr. Johnson and Mr. Camden are neither morally nor legally responsible for his death,” the statement said. Also read | On the edge again, America watches developments closely The lawyers for the former deputies accused Garza of trying to score political points with the indictments, which came a few weeks after Garza announced that a grand jury had returned an indictment against an Austin police officer in the shooting death of a man last year that touched off protests against police violence in the state capital. The lawyers also represent the officer in that case. Bail was set at $150,000 for Johnson and Camden; both have been released. Their lawyers said the former deputies intended to plead not guilty and turned themselves in Tuesday after their indictments were signed Monday. Ambler’s father, Javier Ambler Sr., thanked Garza in a statement for pursuing charges against the former deputies. “Our goal has always been to hold these officers accountable so that there are no more families who have to suffer like ours has,” the statement said. On March 28, 2019, Williamson County deputies tried to stop Javier Ambler because the vehicle he was driving did not dim its lights to traffic, officials said. After deputies tried to pull Ambler over, the authorities said, he kept driving for more than 20 minutes and crashed his vehicle in downtown Austin. There, deputies used a Taser on Ambler several times. “I have congestive heart failure,” Ambler could be heard saying on the body camera video. “I can’t breathe.” As he and the deputies struggled, Ambler said, “Save me.” One deputy yelled, “Do what we’re asking you to do.” Ambler was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin and pronounced dead just after 2:30 a.m. The indictments of the former deputies brought the number of people charged in connection with Ambler’s death to four. Last year, the county’s sheriff at the time of Ambler’s death, Robert Chody, was arrested on an evidence tampering charge related to destruction of recordings of the encounter. He has pleaded not guilty, along with Jason Nassour, a Williamson County assistant attorney, who was also charged with evidence tampering. “Live PD,” which premiered on A&E in 2016, previously broadcast police officers around the country as they made traffic stops, responded to calls and went on high-speed chases. The show was almost live; a delay helped avoid airing footage that was particularly disturbing. A disclaimer at the beginning of each broadcast told viewers that “all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.” The show did not cover what happened to people who had been arrested. Sometimes, people being filmed shielded their faces or objected to the presence of cameras. Television shows about policing attracted scrutiny last summer amid nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in May, and in June, A&E announced that it had ceased production of “Live PD.” Representatives of A&E did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Two ex-deputies face manslaughter charges in black man’s death in Texas

A white intensive care nurse who said if she saw someone on the street who needed help, she would feel obligated to step in. A Black grandmother who said she had no personal experience with the police or the criminal justice system.

A white widow who rides a motorcycle in her spare time and said she believes that “all lives matter.” A Black man who works in banking and said he was eager to serve on the jury of “the most historic case of my lifetime.”

These are some of the jurors appointed to weigh the evidence in the case of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer who is accused of murdering George Floyd, a Black man.

The jury is a demographic mix: three Black men, one Black woman and two women who identified themselves as multiracial. There are two white men and four white women. They are urban and suburban, ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s. The two alternates are white women.

The jurors bring to the table a range of views about Chauvin, Floyd, race and policing, some forged by long life experience and some formed after the video of Floyd dying under Chauvin’s knee launched a new civil rights movement.

And yet they remain invisible, unseen by all but the very few people allowed into the courtroom. Because of the many threats against people involved in the case and the potential for outside pressure, the 12 jury members and two alternates remain anonymous and their faces cannot be shown on camera.

During opening arguments Monday, many of the jurors took notes, according to representatives of the news media who were allowed in the courtroom. During one replay of the video, a juror held her forehead, rubbing her face and eyes. All of the jury members are wearing face coverings because of coronavirus protocols, so parsing their reactions is even more difficult.

Most of what is known about the jurors comes from the jury selection process, more than two weeks of questioning that touched on virtually every contentious issue in American life, including COVID restrictions, Black Lives Matter, defunding the police, conspiracy theories and opioid addiction. The rest was provided by the court: a list of their approximate ages and races.

More than 300 potential jurors filled out a 14-page questionnaire that asked about their views on policing, protests, race and criminal justice, among other questions, and their answers showed the hurdles the defense must overcome in a case about which so much is widely known. Lawyers for the defense and the prosecution then questioned potential jurors one on one.

At least 10 of the 15 jurors and alternates chosen indicated that they had already formed a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin. (The third alternate was dismissed Monday.) But their views were nuanced — several said they had positive views of the police but also believed that the criminal justice system is biased against Black people.

Juror No. 92, a white woman in her 40s, wrote on a questionnaire that she had a “very favorable” opinion of Blue Lives Matter.

“I would be terrified if our police departments were dismantled,” she wrote, according to what the defense lawyer read aloud during jury selection. “However, it is obvious that change needs to happen.”

Many of the jurors expressed dismay over what had happened to Floyd or questioned the actions of the four officers involved, three of whom will face charges in a separate trial. Juror No. 27, a Black man in his 30s, wrote that Floyd “could have been me or anyone else,” according to the answers that the defense read back to him during questioning. No. 52, also a Black man in his 30s, wrote, “My opinion has been, why didn’t the other officers stop Chauvin?”

Juror No. 89, the nurse, said that since Floyd had died she would have to conclude that police had knelt on him for “too long.” No. 44, a white executive at a health care nonprofit, said, “I do not know the laws and procedures of the police for detainment, but a man died and I’m sure that’s not procedure.”

The jurors said they could set their opinions and knowledge aside and consider only the evidence presented.

Throughout the questioning, both the defense and the prosecution probed jurors on their views about protests, riots, Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. They also undoubtedly considered the juror’s race, which has long been considered a clue to how someone might view a case.

Typically, the defense in a case like this would be more likely to strike jurors of color because they are considered more skeptical of law enforcement. But in this case, many white prospective jurors were critical of the police.

“I think what the defense has found is that, you know, race isn’t as useful a proxy — especially whiteness in this case isn’t as useful a proxy as it is in some other cases in which police officers are accused,” said Paul Butler, a former prosecutor and professor at Georgetown Law.

Some jurors spoke revealingly about how they had grappled with the turmoil of the past year.

Juror No. 44, the health care executive, recounted a conversation she had with a Black colleague about white privilege.

“I admit it, I didn’t get it,” she said. “Like, why do we have to call racism a new term?”

The colleague explained that she had to teach her son to keep his hands on the wheel and not move if the police stopped him, for his own safety.

“That was not something I ever thought about teaching my son,” the juror said.

The defense lawyer, Eric Nelson, used many of his questions to suggest to jurors that they did not know the whole story — previewing his opening statement Monday, when he tried to steer the jury away from what they know from the video and focus on other evidence, such as police training policies and medical records of Floyd.

After one prospective juror who wrote that from what she had seen, the police “appeared to take little action despite the pleas of George and bystanders,” Nelson asked if the woman had investigated what happened before or after the video. She acknowledged that she had not.

The racial makeup of the jury was more diverse than many expected — in fact, the jury has a higher percentage of Black people than the city of Minneapolis, which is about 20% Black.

But strong views about racism and police brutality based on personal experience could be enough to get passed over.

A Black potential juror, No. 76, said he has always wondered why police officers are rarely held accountable for the deaths of Black people, and sitting on the jury would put him “in the room to know why.”

He said that after someone was arrested or shot, officers would drive through his former neighborhood playing the song, “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Many of the jurors said they had mixed feelings, including anxiety and trepidation, when they received their jury summons and realized which case it was for. But then, they recognized that history had called.

“Everyone’s lives are changed by this incident and what happened,” Juror No. 44 said. “Everyone’s lives. And it’s not easy. For anyone.”

A white intensive care nurse who said if she saw someone on the street who needed help, she would feel obligated to step in. A Black grandmother who said she had no personal experience with the police or the criminal justice system.

A white intensive care nurse who said if she saw someone on the street who needed help, she would feel obligated to step in. A Black grandmother who said she had no personal experience with the police or the criminal justice system. A white widow who rides a motorcycle in her spare time and said she believes that “all lives matter.” A Black man who works in banking and said he was eager to serve on the jury of “the most historic case of my lifetime.” These are some of the jurors appointed to weigh the evidence in the case of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer who is accused of murdering George Floyd, a Black man. The jury is a demographic mix: three Black men, one Black woman and two women who identified themselves as multiracial. There are two white men and four white women. They are urban and suburban, ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s. The two alternates are white women. The jurors bring to the table a range of views about Chauvin, Floyd, race and policing, some forged by long life experience and some formed after the video of Floyd dying under Chauvin’s knee launched a new civil rights movement. And yet they remain invisible, unseen by all but the very few people allowed into the courtroom. Because of the many threats against people involved in the case and the potential for outside pressure, the 12 jury members and two alternates remain anonymous and their faces cannot be shown on camera. During opening arguments Monday, many of the jurors took notes, according to representatives of the news media who were allowed in the courtroom. During one replay of the video, a juror held her forehead, rubbing her face and eyes. All of the jury members are wearing face coverings because of coronavirus protocols, so parsing their reactions is even more difficult. Most of what is known about the jurors comes from the jury selection process, more than two weeks of questioning that touched on virtually every contentious issue in American life, including COVID restrictions, Black Lives Matter, defunding the police, conspiracy theories and opioid addiction. The rest was provided by the court: a list of their approximate ages and races. More than 300 potential jurors filled out a 14-page questionnaire that asked about their views on policing, protests, race and criminal justice, among other questions, and their answers showed the hurdles the defense must overcome in a case about which so much is widely known. Lawyers for the defense and the prosecution then questioned potential jurors one on one. At least 10 of the 15 jurors and alternates chosen indicated that they had already formed a “somewhat negative” opinion of Chauvin. (The third alternate was dismissed Monday.) But their views were nuanced — several said they had positive views of the police but also believed that the criminal justice system is biased against Black people. Juror No. 92, a white woman in her 40s, wrote on a questionnaire that she had a “very favorable” opinion of Blue Lives Matter. “I would be terrified if our police departments were dismantled,” she wrote, according to what the defense lawyer read aloud during jury selection. “However, it is obvious that change needs to happen.” Many of the jurors expressed dismay over what had happened to Floyd or questioned the actions of the four officers involved, three of whom will face charges in a separate trial. Juror No. 27, a Black man in his 30s, wrote that Floyd “could have been me or anyone else,” according to the answers that the defense read back to him during questioning. No. 52, also a Black man in his 30s, wrote, “My opinion has been, why didn’t the other officers stop Chauvin?” Juror No. 89, the nurse, said that since Floyd had died she would have to conclude that police had knelt on him for “too long.” No. 44, a white executive at a health care nonprofit, said, “I do not know the laws and procedures of the police for detainment, but a man died and I’m sure that’s not procedure.” The jurors said they could set their opinions and knowledge aside and consider only the evidence presented. Throughout the questioning, both the defense and the prosecution probed jurors on their views about protests, riots, Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. They also undoubtedly considered the juror’s race, which has long been considered a clue to how someone might view a case. Typically, the defense in a case like this would be more likely to strike jurors of color because they are considered more skeptical of law enforcement. But in this case, many white prospective jurors were critical of the police. “I think what the defense has found is that, you know, race isn’t as useful a proxy — especially whiteness in this case isn’t as useful a proxy as it is in some other cases in which police officers are accused,” said Paul Butler, a former prosecutor and professor at Georgetown Law. Some jurors spoke revealingly about how they had grappled with the turmoil of the past year. Juror No. 44, the health care executive, recounted a conversation she had with a Black colleague about white privilege. “I admit it, I didn’t get it,” she said. “Like, why do we have to call racism a new term?” The colleague explained that she had to teach her son to keep his hands on the wheel and not move if the police stopped him, for his own safety. “That was not something I ever thought about teaching my son,” the juror said. The defense lawyer, Eric Nelson, used many of his questions to suggest to jurors that they did not know the whole story — previewing his opening statement Monday, when he tried to steer the jury away from what they know from the video and focus on other evidence, such as police training policies and medical records of Floyd. After one prospective juror who wrote that from what she had seen, the police “appeared to take little action despite the pleas of George and bystanders,” Nelson asked if the woman had investigated what happened before or after the video. She acknowledged that she had not. The racial makeup of the jury was more diverse than many expected — in fact, the jury has a higher percentage of Black people than the city of Minneapolis, which is about 20% Black. But strong views about racism and police brutality based on personal experience could be enough to get passed over. A Black potential juror, No. 76, said he has always wondered why police officers are rarely held accountable for the deaths of Black people, and sitting on the jury would put him “in the room to know why.” He said that after someone was arrested or shot, officers would drive through his former neighborhood playing the song, “Another One Bites the Dust.” Many of the jurors said they had mixed feelings, including anxiety and trepidation, when they received their jury summons and realized which case it was for. But then, they recognized that history had called. “Everyone’s lives are changed by this incident and what happened,” Juror No. 44 said. “Everyone’s lives. And it’s not easy. For anyone.”

Who are the jurors in the Chauvin trial?

The first day in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing George Floyd, featured an intense series of opening arguments, numerous photographs, videos of the killing, and testimony from three witnesses.

George Floyd Murder Trial: Prosecutor says Chauvin betrayed his oath

Thousands of people took part in protests across the United States in wake of a surge in violence against Asian Americans -- to raise awareness about racial discrimination.

Rallies were held across the country on Saturday as a continuation of Friday's 'National Day of Action and Healing,' -- a movement to protest anti-Asian violence in the wake of the March 16 mass shooting at three Atlanta-area spas. Six women of Asian descent were among the eight people killed.&nbsp;

According to a study, former US president Donald Trump has regularly referred to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," and a recent study showed that just one of his references to that phrase increased the use of anti-Asian hashtags on Twitter.

Videos and photos of protests, to this end, flooded social media as people from Washington, DC to Los Angeles took part in the rallies.&nbsp;

According to Stop AAPI Hate, roughly 3,800 hate crimes against Asian Americans have been reported from March 2020 to April 2021.&nbsp;

On Friday night, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans held a virtual worldwide vigil in honor of the Asian American women killed in the Atlanta-area shootings.

President Joe Biden tweeted Friday that his administration "stands united with the Asian American community in the face of rising violence."

Biden, who has urged Congress to pass the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, added, "Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It must stop -- and it's on all of us together to make it stop."

Thousands of people took part in protests across the United States in wake of a surge in violence against Asian Americans -- to raise awareness about racial discrimination.

Thousands of people took part in protests across the United States in wake of a surge in violence against Asian Americans -- to raise awareness about racial discrimination. Rallies were held across the country on Saturday as a continuation of Friday's 'National Day of Action and Healing,' -- a movement to protest anti-Asian violence in the wake of the March 16 mass shooting at three Atlanta-area spas. Six women of Asian descent were among the eight people killed. According to a study, former US president Donald Trump has regularly referred to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," and a recent study showed that just one of his references to that phrase increased the use of anti-Asian hashtags on Twitter. Videos and photos of protests, to this end, flooded social media as people from Washington, DC to Los Angeles took part in the rallies. According to Stop AAPI Hate, roughly 3,800 hate crimes against Asian Americans have been reported from March 2020 to April 2021. On Friday night, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans held a virtual worldwide vigil in honor of the Asian American women killed in the Atlanta-area shootings. President Joe Biden tweeted Friday that his administration "stands united with the Asian American community in the face of rising violence." Biden, who has urged Congress to pass the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, added, "Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It must stop -- and it's on all of us together to make it stop."

Thousands protest violence against Asian Americans in US

Opening arguments begin on Monday in the trial of the white police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man whose death was captured on video and touched off protests against racial injustice across the United States and around the world.

Derek Chauvin, a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, faces murder and manslaughter charges for his role in the May 25, 2020 death of the 46-year-old Floyd.

Chauvin, 44, who was fired from the police force along with three other officers, could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge -- second-degree murder.

Opening arguments are to begin at 9:00 am Central time (1400 GMT) in a heavily guarded Minneapolis courtroom for a trial expected to last about a month.

Fifteen jurors have been selected for the high-profile case.

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill is expected to drop one juror on Monday and proceed with 12 and two alternates.

The panel seated after two weeks of jury selection is racially mixed: six white women, three Black men, three white men, two mixed race women and one Black woman.

Police officers are rarely convicted in the United States when charges are brought against them and the trial is being closely watched around the world.

A conviction on any of the charges -- second-degree murder, third-degree murder or manslaughter -- will require the jury to return a unanimous verdict.

Floyd's cause of death is expected to be the central issue in the trial and a key piece of evidence is likely to be the viral video that triggered a summer of anti-racism protests.

Chauvin was seen on the bystander video kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while arresting him for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill.

While lying with his face in the street, the handcuffed Floyd complains that he cannot breathe and calls out for his mother.

Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, is expected to argue that the officer was following police procedure and claim that Floyd death's was due to an overdose of the drug fentanyl and underlying health conditions.

- 'Just verdict' -

The public has been banned from attending the trial because of the Covid-19 pandemic but it is being livestreamed.

The identities of the jurors will not be revealed until after the trial but some details are known.

They range in age from their 20s to their 60s and include a chemist, a social worker, an accountant and a nurse. Two are immigrants to the United States.

One is a grandmother, one is recently married and one is a single mother of two teenage boys.

The jury selection process was complicated by the intensive pre-trial publicity surrounding the case and all but one of the jurors said they had seen at least some of the arrest video.

Several potential jurors were excused after telling the judge they could not be fair or impartial or presume Chauvin to be innocent as the law requires them to do.

Others expressed concern for their safety.

Nelson, Chauvin's attorney, asked to have the trial delayed and moved out of Minneapolis because of the March 12 announcement that the city had reached a $27 million "wrongful death" settlement with the Floyd family.

Judge Cahill rejected the demand, saying: "I don't think that there's any place in the state of Minnesota that has not been subjected to extreme amounts of publicity on this case."

Three other former police officers -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng -- also face charges in connection with Floyd's death.

They are to be tried separately later in the year.

Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Floyd family, said he hoped the jury would deliver a "just verdict."&nbsp;

"George Floyd had more witnesses to his death than any other person ever -- white or Black," Crump said. "We all saw the same thing -- the indisputable and unjustified torture and murder by a police officer of a Black man who was handcuffed, restrained and posed no harm."

Opening arguments begin on Monday in the trial of the white police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man whose death was captured on video and touched off protests against racial injustice across the United States and around the world.

Opening arguments begin on Monday in the trial of the white police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man whose death was captured on video and touched off protests against racial injustice across the United States and around the world. Derek Chauvin, a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, faces murder and manslaughter charges for his role in the May 25, 2020 death of the 46-year-old Floyd. Chauvin, 44, who was fired from the police force along with three other officers, could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge -- second-degree murder. Opening arguments are to begin at 9:00 am Central time (1400 GMT) in a heavily guarded Minneapolis courtroom for a trial expected to last about a month. Fifteen jurors have been selected for the high-profile case. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill is expected to drop one juror on Monday and proceed with 12 and two alternates. The panel seated after two weeks of jury selection is racially mixed: six white women, three Black men, three white men, two mixed race women and one Black woman. Police officers are rarely convicted in the United States when charges are brought against them and the trial is being closely watched around the world. A conviction on any of the charges -- second-degree murder, third-degree murder or manslaughter -- will require the jury to return a unanimous verdict. Floyd's cause of death is expected to be the central issue in the trial and a key piece of evidence is likely to be the viral video that triggered a summer of anti-racism protests. Chauvin was seen on the bystander video kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while arresting him for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill. While lying with his face in the street, the handcuffed Floyd complains that he cannot breathe and calls out for his mother. Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, is expected to argue that the officer was following police procedure and claim that Floyd death's was due to an overdose of the drug fentanyl and underlying health conditions. - 'Just verdict' - The public has been banned from attending the trial because of the Covid-19 pandemic but it is being livestreamed. The identities of the jurors will not be revealed until after the trial but some details are known. They range in age from their 20s to their 60s and include a chemist, a social worker, an accountant and a nurse. Two are immigrants to the United States. One is a grandmother, one is recently married and one is a single mother of two teenage boys. The jury selection process was complicated by the intensive pre-trial publicity surrounding the case and all but one of the jurors said they had seen at least some of the arrest video. Several potential jurors were excused after telling the judge they could not be fair or impartial or presume Chauvin to be innocent as the law requires them to do. Others expressed concern for their safety. Nelson, Chauvin's attorney, asked to have the trial delayed and moved out of Minneapolis because of the March 12 announcement that the city had reached a $27 million "wrongful death" settlement with the Floyd family. Judge Cahill rejected the demand, saying: "I don't think that there's any place in the state of Minnesota that has not been subjected to extreme amounts of publicity on this case." Three other former police officers -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng -- also face charges in connection with Floyd's death. They are to be tried separately later in the year. Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Floyd family, said he hoped the jury would deliver a "just verdict." "George Floyd had more witnesses to his death than any other person ever -- white or Black," Crump said. "We all saw the same thing -- the indisputable and unjustified torture and murder by a police officer of a Black man who was handcuffed, restrained and posed no harm."

Opening arguments set to begin in George Floyd murder trial

The Minneapolis Police Department has opened an internal affairs investigation after a Black teenager was punched by an officer who appeared to be white, the mayor and the police chief said Thursday.

The announcement came one day after a partial video of the episode recorded by an eyewitness had drawn widespread attention and touched off protests by Black community members, who called for the officer to be fired.

The protests were set against the backdrop of the trial of Derek Chauvin, one of four former Minneapolis police officers who have been charged in the killing of George Floyd in May. Chauvin pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground for more than nine minutes as Floyd, a Black man, told officers that he couldn’t breathe.

“De-escalating is paramount in the work that our officers do,” Medaria Arradondo, the city’s police chief, said during a news conference Thursday.

The punch occurred Wednesday afternoon after a “violent felony carjacking” in the suburb of New Hope and a police chase through Robbinsdale that ended in north Minneapolis, authorities said.

Minneapolis police officers had been helping their suburban counterparts, who had stopped a suspect in the carjacking, when a group of residents approached and protested that the officers had the wrong person in custody, the eyewitness video showed. The suspect, another Black teenager, said he had been scared when Robbinsdale police officers led him toward the back seat of a patrol car.

Tensions between the residents and the officers began to escalate, and a Minneapolis police officer punched another Black teenager at the scene during a skirmish, the video showed. The person who recorded the video had been walking away from scene when the exchange happened, so it was not immediately clear what had led the officer to throw the punch.

The teenager hit by the officer was taken into custody, according to the police chief, who said he didn’t know whether the young man had played a role in the carjacking. The police did not provide further details about whether the teenager had been charged or the nature of his injuries. The police did not release the names of the teenager who had been punched or the officer who punched him.

Civil rights groups criticized the use of force by the officer.

“The MPD is out of control,” Sonja Muus, a member of the Racial Justice Network, said in a statement Thursday. “They don’t care if they are being filmed or if their body cameras are on. They know they can act with impunity.”

At the news conference Thursday, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis said that he could not comment on the specifics of the case without potentially compromising the internal affairs investigation.

The other teenager, whom the police described as the carjacking suspect, was also taken into custody, Arradondo said.

The chief said he had not made a decision on whether to release body camera footage from officers at the scene and urged the public to let the Police Department conduct a thorough investigation. He said he was aware of public criticism of the department but asked residents to allow officers to do their jobs.

“While there may be distrust or a sentiment of concern,” the chief said, “we have to respond. We’re first responders.”

Asked if a punch was an authorized police technique, Arradondo said the law gives officers broad discretion over use of force.

“Have there been times, absolutely, where that’s justified?” he said. “For sure.”

The Minneapolis Police Department has opened an internal affairs investigation after a Black teenager was punched by an officer who appeared to be white, the mayor and the police chief said Thursday.

The Minneapolis Police Department has opened an internal affairs investigation after a Black teenager was punched by an officer who appeared to be white, the mayor and the police chief said Thursday. The announcement came one day after a partial video of the episode recorded by an eyewitness had drawn widespread attention and touched off protests by Black community members, who called for the officer to be fired. The protests were set against the backdrop of the trial of Derek Chauvin, one of four former Minneapolis police officers who have been charged in the killing of George Floyd in May. Chauvin pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground for more than nine minutes as Floyd, a Black man, told officers that he couldn’t breathe. “De-escalating is paramount in the work that our officers do,” Medaria Arradondo, the city’s police chief, said during a news conference Thursday. The punch occurred Wednesday afternoon after a “violent felony carjacking” in the suburb of New Hope and a police chase through Robbinsdale that ended in north Minneapolis, authorities said. Minneapolis police officers had been helping their suburban counterparts, who had stopped a suspect in the carjacking, when a group of residents approached and protested that the officers had the wrong person in custody, the eyewitness video showed. The suspect, another Black teenager, said he had been scared when Robbinsdale police officers led him toward the back seat of a patrol car. Tensions between the residents and the officers began to escalate, and a Minneapolis police officer punched another Black teenager at the scene during a skirmish, the video showed. The person who recorded the video had been walking away from scene when the exchange happened, so it was not immediately clear what had led the officer to throw the punch. The teenager hit by the officer was taken into custody, according to the police chief, who said he didn’t know whether the young man had played a role in the carjacking. The police did not provide further details about whether the teenager had been charged or the nature of his injuries. The police did not release the names of the teenager who had been punched or the officer who punched him. Civil rights groups criticized the use of force by the officer. “The MPD is out of control,” Sonja Muus, a member of the Racial Justice Network, said in a statement Thursday. “They don’t care if they are being filmed or if their body cameras are on. They know they can act with impunity.” At the news conference Thursday, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis said that he could not comment on the specifics of the case without potentially compromising the internal affairs investigation. The other teenager, whom the police described as the carjacking suspect, was also taken into custody, Arradondo said. The chief said he had not made a decision on whether to release body camera footage from officers at the scene and urged the public to let the Police Department conduct a thorough investigation. He said he was aware of public criticism of the department but asked residents to allow officers to do their jobs. “While there may be distrust or a sentiment of concern,” the chief said, “we have to respond. We’re first responders.” Asked if a punch was an authorized police technique, Arradondo said the law gives officers broad discretion over use of force. “Have there been times, absolutely, where that’s justified?” he said. “For sure.”

Minneapolis police investigate punching of a black teenager by an officer

Breonna Taylor was killed a year ago. Now, protests are on. What happened to her?