The testimony begins its third week in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the dismissed Minneapolis officer charged with the death of George Floyd. Before the jury was summoned to the courtroom on Monday, a judge denied a defense request that the jury be further questioned and sequestered in light of the fatal police shooting of a driver in nearby Brooklyn downtown on Sunday, who led to protests.
“This incident last night, in my opinion, emphasizes the forefront of the jury’s thinking that a verdict in this case will have consequences,” said attorney Eric Nelson.
Judge Peter Cahill said the Brooklyn Center shooting was a “completely different matter” and said the jury’s sequestration could increase their security concerns. He said the jury will be sequestered as soon as it starts.
The verdict comes after medical experts and forensic pathologists testified last week about Floyd’s cause of death. How Floyd died was a major point of contention during the trial. Prosecutors allege he died of oxygen deficiency under the weight of officers who pinned him down during the fatal arrest in May 2020, while the defense alleges that the drugs he ingested, along with underlying heart disease, caused a fatal heart rhythm disorder.
Friday, dr. Andrew Baker, a Hennepin County doctor who performed autopsies, testified that heart disease and drugs contributed to Floyd’s death, but did not directly cause it.
Baker’s testimony came after three medical experts testified before the prosecution that Floyd died of oxygen deficiency – not drugs, as the defense suggested.
Chauvin, who was seen in disturbing videos kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree homicide.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty. The other three officers involved are charged with providing assistance and are expected to be tried together in August.