Distressing and at times tearful testimony by young eyewitnesses dominated the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday, including that of the teen girl whose video of George Floyd’s arrest set off nationwide protests.
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End of carouselGenevieve Hansen, an off-duty firefighter with emergency medical training, said she quickly recognized Floyd was in serious condition and placed a concerned 911 call. Her exchanges with defense lawyer Nelson grew tense at times, leading the judge to reprimand her.
In a protective move by Judge Peter A. Cahill, four the six witnesses from Tuesday were not shown on camera in court, though audio of their testimony was broadcast. Cahill noted the four young witnesses were minors at the time of the incident and two still are.
The youngest witness, a 9-year-old girl, testified that paramedics “nicely” asked Chauvin to get off Floyd when they arrived to the scene. “They asked him nicely to get off of him,” the witness said. “He still stayed on him.”
Tuesday’s eyewitness accounts helped prosecutors establish the traumatizing effect witnessing Floyd’s killing had on the bystanders. Prosecutors are seeking a harsher sentence for Chauvin if convicted because Floyd was killed in front of children.
The morning began with more recollections from Donald Williams, who can be heard on the video encouraging the officer to get off George Floyd. Williams testified that he could see Floyd “going through tremendous pain.” During cross-examination, Chauvin’s defense team attempted to paint Williams as angry enough that he could have been a danger to the officers, a characterization Williams balked at.
Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the trial.
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