Derek Chauvin, on the right, with his lawyer in court
Three weeks of hearings, 46 witnesses, including a child, and the continuous re-presentation of the latest live images of George Floyd, the 46-year-old African American, who died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020, during the arrest by the police. Now America awaits the verdict with bated breath. On the dock is former policeman Derek Chauvin, 44, who has to answer for three counts: second degree murder, third degree murder and manslaughter.
On the last day of the trial, the prosecution, brought forward by prosecutor Steve Schleicher, concentrated the indictment on those 9 minutes and 29 seconds in which the agent kept his knee pressed on Floyd’s neck, lying on the ground, to face down, hands locked behind back with handcuffs.
“His last words – said the prosecutor – were ‘please, I don’t breathe. Floyd wasn’t hurting anyone, he didn’t want to hurt anyone ”. “This – he added – is not a trial of the police, it is the trial of a defendant. And for the good police there is nothing worse than a bad police ”. Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, argued that “the knee move was unauthorized,” despite many policemen and trainers called to testify to the contrary.
The lawyer pointed to Floyd’s addiction to opioids, linking death to a poor condition of the lungs, already worn out by the drug. The twelve jurors, including four African Americans, have retired to the council chamber: they must reach unanimity on a verdict: guilty or innocent. Each charge will be judged individually. Chauvin can be convicted, or acquitted, of one, two or all three offenses. He risks from a minimum of ten years to a maximum of seventy which, in his case, would be equivalent to a life sentence.
A witness to George Floyd’s death in tears during the testimony in the courtroom
The jurors will have to decide whether these three weeks of trial established whether or not the cop was aware that he was killing Floyd. According to the indictment, yes. According to the defense, no. Between manslaughter and murder for “neglect of respect for life”, the jurors will have to take a stand. When will they announce it? It could take hours or days. The wait for the sentence is very high. Minneapolis is armored. Dozens, outside the court, await the sentence. The families of Floyd and Daunte Wright, killed at the age of 20 by the police, held a prayer vigil. There have been calls from various quarters to leave violence aside.
There is fear that, in the event of acquittal, an incident could break out not only in Minneapolis but in other cities in the United States. In New York, the police department has prepared an extraordinary intervention plan. The White House, through spokeswoman Jen Psaki, took into consideration that “there may be room for peaceful protests”, as if there was a feeling in the air that the twelve jurors could acquit Chauvin. Either way, the sentence will create tension. America is waiting. Judge Peter Cahill, in dismissing the jurors, urged them to decide “without thinking about the consequences of their verdict.”