Derek Chauvin’s trial in Minneapolis, Jena Scurry was the first witness

The trial against former police officer Derek Chauvin (44) began today in Minneapolis.

Chauvin is accused of killing George Floyd, who died during an arrest in May last year where Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck for several minutes.

The incident sparked violent demonstrations against police violence against blacks and institutional racism in the United States. The demonstrations also spread to other countries, including Norway.

– I fear that

Crash Video Seen

“Derek Chauvin betrayed his police,” prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said in his opening remarks in the case against the white police officer accused of murdering black George Floyd.

The trial against Chauvin began on Monday with the judge giving his instructions to the jury of 14, eight whites and six blacks and mestizos, who will try or acquit Chauvin.

Blackwell asked the jury to take note of the number 9 minutes and 29 seconds, the time that Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck. He said that Chauvin did not stop and that he squeezed Floyd’s life, even though Floyd was handcuffed and 27 times stated that he could not breathe.

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He then took the opportunity at the beginning of the trial to show the shocking video of the incident, which was recorded by a witness and which sparked outrage against police violence in the United States.

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The jury could hear Floyd groan and gasp as he lay pressed against the sidewalk, and as bystanders begged and yelled for Chauvin to stop.

Blackwell said a woman from the fire department was trying to get him to release him, but had to give in when Chauvin pointed a tear gas canister at him.

Blackwell emphasized that it is not the police across the United States who are in court, only Derek Chauvin. Chauvin, who had been with the Minneapolis police for 19 years, was fired after Floyd’s murder.

– Ignore politics

In his opening speech, Chauvin’s defense attorney asked the jury to ignore the politics surrounding the murder.

He noted that Floyd was under the influence of drugs when he was arrested for allegedly paying with a counterfeit bill. The defense attorney apparently tried to divert the jury’s attention from the defendant’s actions and to Floyd’s character.

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“This is not about promoting any political or social cause in this courtroom,” defense attorney Eric Nelson said, dismissing the accusation that Chauvin killed Floyd.

Congresswoman Cori Bush was among those who reacted to the defender’s tactics. She signed Twitter: ‘Derek Chauvin is on trial. The United States is in court. Our legal system represents the court. “And he concluded:” George Floyd does not represent the court. “

The first witness on the bench Monday was 911 operator Jena Scurry. In the recording of the telephone conversation, he said that he would not normally call the guard, because it was beyond his responsibility, but that “instinct told him that something was wrong.”

Blackwell described it as “she had called the police to the police.”

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The Black Lives Matter demonstrations became a major factor in the election campaign as a grim reminder to many of the perennial and unsolved race problem in America.

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Supporters of President Donald Trump, however, defended the police and accused the protesters of looting and vandalism.

Nelson also noted that Floyd was drunk and that he objected to the police attempt to arrest him and put him in a police vehicle.

– You’ll see Derek Chauvin did exactly what he was trained to do, told the jury, and also denied that Chauvin was to blame for Floyd dying of heart failure and crushing neck injuries.

Knelte

Before the case began, Floyd’s relatives and lawyers for the family, as well as human rights activist Al Sharpton, knelt in protest for so many minutes as Chauvin held his knee against Floyd’s neck.

“An important lawsuit begins today that will determine how far the United States has come in its quest for equality and justice for all,” Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said before trial.

– The whole world is watching, he said.

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Among those closely following him is President Joe Biden.

– He follows closely, as Americans do across the country, said his spokeswoman Jen Psaki, adding that Biden had called Floyd’s murder an incident that really opens wounds in the United States.

If Chauvin is found guilty, he risks up to 40 years in prison. He is accused of killing Floyd, who died when he was arrested in Minneapolis in May of last year.