Ex-officer on trial for George Floyd's death asks to show jury an earlier arrest

[Jose Garcia]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN2B82

Almost exactly a year before George Floyd was killed in a deadly arrest by Minneapolis police officers in May 2020, he found himself in another encounter with police in which he became distressed as an officer pointed a gun at him.

On Tuesday, a lawyer for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer on trial for murder charges for Floyd's death, asked the judge to allow the jury to see evidence of the earlier episode.

In the arrest of May 6, 2019, a panicking Floyd swallowed several opioid pain-killer pills as police approached. Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead lawyer, has argued that the main cause of Floyd's death a year later, which was ruled a homicide, was the opioid fentanyl found in his blood at autopsy.

"The similarities are incredible, it's the exact same behavior in two incidents almost exactly one year apart," Nelson told the court before the resumption of jury selection, noting Floyd called out for his "mama" in both arrests, according to video footage.

Read more: Reuters

[Hela]

1. Gee, too bad Mr. Floyd isn't here to defend you.

Whose behavior is on trial here, Officer Chauvin? My take is that you saw that the first try didn't work, so you escalated it the second time, you fucking cold-blooded murderer.

[JT45242]

2. Positional asphyxia not drugs

His cause of death was positional asphyxia -- the same cause of death as crucifixion. The cause of death was not drugs -- the coroner has already ruled that out.

The defense can feel free to cross examine the coroner and try to get the drugs in for reasonable doubt in that fashion only. The victim is not on trial, these men who abused their power are.

The prior acts of the defendant are not at issue -- the death of George Floyd as caused by Chauvin and his co-defendants is.

[DallasNE]

9. How Does That Even Help The Defense

Why would a police officers pulling a gun on George in another stop help? It just exposes more excessive use of force against black men.

[zentrum]

12. Exactly.

[iluvtennis]

3. This is ridiculous. These defense lawyers are putting George Floyd on trial. It's Derek Chauvin that

is on trial.

This is why I despise most defense lawyers.

[davsand]

11. Defense lawyers are doing a job.

Everyone is entitled to representation in criminal court. That's what our laws say. While I have serious issues with putting the victim on trial, I understand why they do it. It's the hope that it might just sway one juror over to the attitude that "they had it coming". That one juror can hang the jury. While I do not like it, it is an acknowledged strategy. Defense lawyers are charged with providing the best possible defense for that client. I'd wish the defense was true, but seems like truth isn't always the goal in spite of the laws.

I have a lot bigger issue with prosecutors that use paid testimony or who don't use contradicting testimony to try and convict on false charges. I truly hate the evil assholes who knowingly try and convict the innocent.


Laura

[iluvtennis]

14. I disagree that defense lawyers are doing a good job. They are attacking the victim. If their client

is innocent, then they should focus on showing their client did not cause the death of George Floyd by pushing his foot on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 45 seconds.

[Dawson Leery]

4. Of course he became distressed when an officer pointed a gun at him.

What else did you expect?

The standards for lawyers is far to low.

[SledDriver]

5. Was Derek Chauvin involved in or familiar with this prior incident

before his encounter with George Floyd? If not, then how is it relevant to the case at hand?

[Cracklin Charlie]

6. What about the officer with his body weight pressing Mr. Floyd to the ground?

Any prior video of that kind of incident?

I fail to see the point of showing the prior video.

[Vinca]

7. The same thing except for the 9 minute snuff video.

[louis-t]

8. Irrelevant.

Prior behavior is 100% irrelevant.

[MichMan]

10. Wouldn't Chauvin's prior behavior be relevant in this case?

Or inadmissible?

[Mr.Bill]

13. Floyd calling for his mama

isn't 1/1,000th of the evidence against this murdering bastard.

[Omaha Steve]

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