MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The judge at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial Wednesday turned down a defense request to acquit the former officer in George Floyd’s death.
Judge Peter Cahill pressed on with the case after Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson argued that prosecutors had failed to prove that Chauvin killed Floyd. Requests for an acquittal are routinely made midway through a trial and are usually denied.
Nelson said the prosecution’s expert witnesses gave conflicting opinions about what caused Floyd’s death after the 46-year-old Black man was pinned under the white officer’s knee for what authorities say was 9 1/2 minutes last May.
Derek Chauvin trial: Use of force ‘justified’ says defence expert
A police officer was “justified” in pinning George Floyd to the ground before his death, says a use-of-force expert called by the defence team.
Barry Brodd told the trial in Minnesota that Derek Chauvin – who denies murder – acted with “objective reasonableness” during the arrest last May.
Video of Mr Chauvin kneeling on the neck of Mr Floyd led to worldwide protests against racism and policing.
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