Nine months after George Floyd’s death laid bare the racial wounds in the United States, the white policeman charged with murdering the 46-year-old Black man is going on trial.
Jury selection begins in Minneapolis on Monday in the case against Derek Chauvin, who was filmed with his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as the handcuffed man struggled to breathe.
The shocking footage of Floyd’s May 25 death sparked a wave of “Black Lives Matter” protests against police brutality and racial injustice across the United States and in capitals around the world.
Chauvin’s case promises to be extraordinary in many respects: it will feature star attorneys, be held under tight security and broadcast live.
Chauvin, a 19-year veteran of the force, was released from prison on bail in the fall and is expected to plead not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges.
“Mr Chauvin acted according to MPD policy, his training and within his duties as a licensed peace officer of the State of Minnesota,” according to his lawyer, Eric Nelson. “He did exactly as he was trained to do.”
Opening arguments are scheduled to begin on March 29 and a verdict is not expected until the end of April.
By Hussein Jama
March 7, 2021
