Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd, has called for his fifth amendment right not to testify at his trial Thursday before the defense settles his case.
Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd, 46.
If Chauvin had testified, it would have been the first time he had told his side of the story in public.
The defense called several witnesses over the course of two days, including Dr. David Fowler, a pathologist who testified Wednesday that Floyd died of a sudden heart rhythm disorder due to his heart disease. Fowler, who was Maryland’s chief medical examiner for 17 years, testified that he would classify the manner of death as ‘indefinite’ rather than a murder – an act caused by another person, such as the office of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled.
Several prosecution witnesses said Floyd died of oxygen or asphyxia due to the way he was pinned down by police. One of the witnesses, dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who detailed Floyd’s last moments, was called as a rebuttal witness on Thursday in response to Fowler’s testimony, in which Fowler said carbon monoxide from a nearby police car may have been playing. a role in Floyd’s death.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, tried to prove Floyd died of illegal drug use and underlying health conditions. He said Chauvin, a 19-year-old veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, did what he was trained to do.
Prosecutors said Floyd died because Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds.
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell admitted on Wednesday during cross-examination that Fowler did not take into account the weight of Chauvin’s equipment when analyzing the pressure on Floyd’s body.
He also let Fowler admit that Floyd’s blood was never tested for carbon monoxide.
“You did not see any data or test results that showed that Mr Floyd had a single injury due to carbon monoxide. Is that true?” Ask Blackwell.
“That’s correct, because it was never sent,” Fowler replied.
Blackwell noted that the group was a gas-electric hybrid and Fowler admitted that he has no data on how much carbon monoxide is actually released. Fowler said he believes the engine is running.
Closing remarks are expected on Monday.
