Attorneys made their closing statements in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday, leaving jurors to make sense of two entirely different arguments …
Attorneys made their closing statements in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday, leaving jurors to make sense of two entirely different arguments to determine whether Chauvin is guilty of murder or manslaughter in George Floyd’s death last May. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Chauvin’s knee – pressed against 46-year-old Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and face-down on the street – led to his death by loss of oxygen. The defense argued underlying heart issues and the methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system caused Floyd’s death while he struggled with police. Both sides used still images, video clips and visual aids as they talked the jury through the charges Chauvin,45, faces: second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. During the statements, Chauvin took notes on a yellow legal pad, as he has done for weeks. So did the jurors. As lead defense attorney Eric Nelson told jurors Chauvin acted like any other “reasonable officer” during his closing arguments, Chauvin took his surgical mask off, giving jurors a look at his entire face. Prosecutors described the bystanders watching Chauvin restrain Floyd as horrified strangers brought together to witness what happened and testify before the jurors. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher concluded his argument with an appeal to jurors as “random members of the community, all converged by fate at one single moment in time to witness” what happened. Though they were powerless at the time, he said, they were empowered to bring their testimony to jurors. Defense attorney Eric Nelson referred to those bystanders as an angry, threatening, distracting crowd that prevented Chauvin from noticing the moment Floyd took his last breath. Nelson played for jurors video of the moment that, according to an expert for the prosecution, Floyd lost consciousness. Noting how off-duty firefighter Genevieve Hansen had approached officers, Nelson said Chauvin pulled his Mace out and focused on her, rather than on Floyd beneath him. The prosecution said officers violated the Minneapolis Police Department’s “duty of care” policy, which required them to render aid to Floyd as soon as possible when he exhibited medical distress. “George Floyd’s final words on May 25, 2020, were: ‘Please, I can’t breathe.’ He asked for help with his very last breath,” Schleicher said. “All that was required was compassion.” Schleicher said “sanctity of life” is a cornerstone of the department’s use-of-force policy, and as first responders, officers are taught basic first aid, including CPR and chest compressions. Chauvin “didn’t follow the hundreds of hours of training he had.
