The homicide trial of the previous police officer Derek Chauvin has been underneath method for greater than per week and the courtroom has heard dramatic testimony from quite a few witnesses. Many gave private accounts of what they noticed on 25 Might final yr when George Floyd died after being arrested by Minneapolis cops.
It’s some of the vital prison trials in years and its impact is being deeply felt in Minneapolis, the place the protection is having a retraumatising effect. Amudalat Ajasa tells Anushka Asthana that for black individuals throughout the nation it’s tough to observe.
The Guardian’s Oliver Laughland has been following the proceedings contained in the courtroom because the prosecution lays out its case towards Chauvin. The prosecutor has targeted closely on the notorious video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for greater than 9 minutes. He has referred to as quite a few senior police officers to testify that this use of force violated policy.
Within the coming weeks, Chauvin’s defence legal professionals will try and argue that it was Floyd’s drug use, not the officer’s actions, that had been chargeable for Floyd’s demise. If Chauvin is convicted he faces as much as 40 years in jail.
{Photograph}: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
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