George Floyd’s death: ex-cops blame each other, seek their own lawsuits

Attorneys for four former Minneapolis cops charged in George Floyd’s death say each client should have their own trial, as officers try to lessen their role in the black man’s arrest by accusing each other.

Prosecutors say the four officers should be tried together because the nature of the charges and the evidence is similar and “it is impossible to assess the conduct of any defendant in a vacuum.”

The former officers are due to appear in court this weekend for a hearing on various issues, including the prosecution’s request for a joint trial. Other issues that will be discussed include defense requests to move the trial out of Minneapolis and to kidnap the jury and keep the jurors anonymous.

Floyd, who was handcuffed, died on May 25 after Derek Chauvin pressed his knee to his neck when Floyd said he couldn’t breathe and froze.

Chauvin is charged with second degree murder, third degree murder, and manslaughter. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with being accomplices of second degree murder and manslaughter.

Defense requests to dismiss the charges will not be addressed at the hearing. A trial is scheduled for March. The hearing will also mark the first time Chauvin is expected to appear in a courtroom. He is in state custody and has attended previous hearings by video conference. Prosecutors say the case should proceed to trial because the evidence, including witness statements, body camera video and the police department’s policy on the use of force, is similar for each officer.

Prosecutors say the agents also acted closely together.

Here, the four defendants worked together to assassinate Floyd: Chauvin, Kueng, and Lane immobilized Floyd face down, while Thao prevented the crowd from intervening, allowing the other defendants to hold their positions. The defendants They also discussed and coordinated their actions throughout the incident, “prosecutors wrote in a court file.

Prosecutors also say that witnesses and members of Floyd’s family would likely be traumatized by multiple trials, and it would be more efficient and in the interest of justice to conduct a single proceeding. But defense attorneys are pushing for separate trials, saying they are likely to offer “conflicting” defenses and that evidence against one officer could negatively affect another’s right to a fair trial.

Attempts to point fingers are already common in all court presentations of the case. Lawyers for Lane and Kueng have argued that their clients were newbies, following Chauvin’s lead.

Thao’s attorney, Bob Paule, has said that his client’s role was “absolutely different” from the others, because he was in crowd control and secured the scene, while the other three restrained Floyd.

Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, also wrote that his client’s case is different. Nelson said prosecutors must prove that Chauvin intended to assault Floyd, but must also show that the other officers knew of Chauvin’s intent before it happened. As a result, he said, Chauvin will have to defend himself differently.

“The other defendants are clearly saying that if a crime was committed, they neither knew nor helped him,” Nelson wrote.

“They blame Chauvin.” But Chauvin also points the finger at the others. Nelson wrote that Lane and Kueng, the officers who responded to a spoof call, initiated contact with Floyd before Chauvin and Thao arrived, and that Chauvin believes Floyd was taking an overdose of fentanyl.

Nelson wrote that while Lane and Kueng called a paramedic and believed Floyd was “onto something,” they did not escalate the call to one of more urgency or provide medical assistance.

“Instead, they fought to subdue Mr. Floyd and force him into their patrol, probably exacerbating his condition considerably,” Nelson wrote, adding that Chauvin could reasonably argue that their inaction led to Floyd’s death.

“If EMS had arrived just three minutes early, Mr. Floyd could have survived. If Kueng and Lane had chosen to slow down rather than fight, Mr. Floyd could have survived. If Kueng and Lane had recognized the Apparent signs of an opioid overdose and assistance provided, such as naloxone administration, Mr. Floyd may have survived, “Nelson wrote.

Attorneys for the four men have also asked that the trial be moved from Minneapolis, saying that pre-trial publicity has made it impossible for them to receive a fair trial. Bob Paule, Thao’s attorney, said in a court docket that the state has tainted the jury group by calling Floyd’s death a “murder.”

Paule also cites protests that caused millions of dollars in damage in Minneapolis, saying that an impartial jury cannot be found in Hennepin County because the jurors “would bear the brunt of their decision creating further disturbance and destruction.”

– AP