DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL: Week 2 RECAP
Last friday concluded week two of the Derek Chauvin case. Last week the courtroom filled with emotional trauma as witnesses took the stand to relive the day George Floyd died. Week two, we got to hear from the medical examiners who complete George Floyd’s autopsy. The main focus going into the week was what exactly killed George Floyd and if Chauvin violated police policies.
To start the week, Minneapolis Police Department’s Chief Medaria Arradondo took the stand and said that Chauvin violated the department’s policies during the arrest. “Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting, and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped,” Chief Arradondo said.
Medical Experts Take The Stand
However, the medical support coordinator for the department, officer Nicole Mackenzie had a different opinion from Chief Arradondo. Mackenzie agreed with Chauvin’s lawyer that a crowd of vocal bystanders could make it hard for an officer to seek medical aid during an arrest. Chauvin’s Lawyer, Mr. Nelson, made the argument that bystanders outside during Floyd’s arrest were yelling, acting as a distraction for Mr. Chauvin. Nelson suggested the bystanders made it hard for Chauvin to provide help once Floyd was unresponsive or, in other words, do his job correctly.
By midweek, many medical witnesses took the stand. Many of the medical specialists testified that Floyd dies from a lack of oxygen. According to the medical experts, the reasoning of death opposes Nelson’s claims that Floyd’s death was due to his drug use and a heart condition. However, on Thursday, medical witnesses testified that they saw no evidence George Floyd dies from a drug overdose. Medical expert Dr. Martin J. Tobin stated that Floyd did not die from the fentanyl and methamphetamine found in his system. He also clarified that any average person could have died under the restraint of Chauvin’s knee for over nine minutes.
What’s next?
The high-profile case is expected to wind down within the upcoming week. The ‘Spark of Life’ testimonies are set to occur where family and friends who were not at the scene will speak upon their loved one. Once that is done, and the state rests its case, the defense will present its case.
