It was a highly anticipated first appearance. A Minneapolis judge hoped on Monday that he could start the trial of the police officers involved in the murder of George Floyd on March 8, but threatened to disorient him if the parties continue to speak in the media on this file which revolted the America. At this stage, it is not yet known whether the police will be tried together or separately.
Dressed in an orange prisoner costume, his face covered with a mask, ex-agent Derek Chauvin appeared by video link from the high security prison where he has been detained for a month. The 44-year-old white man is charged with murder for suffocating George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, by kneeling on his neck for more than 8 minutes.
His three former colleagues Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, prosecuted for complicity in the murder, appeared in person before the judge. The first two were released on bail on bail of $ 750,000. The latter is still in custody but has been transferred to court for this hearing. The four, all of whom were laid off from the police, face up to 40 years in prison.
"Reasonable" use of force
In a document sent after the hearing, counsel for Alexander Kueng said that his client intended to plead "not guilty" and argued that he had used "reasonable use of force" to defend himself . The strategies of the other accused have not yet been released.
On May 25, the four agents wanted to arrest George Floyd suspected of having tried to sell a counterfeit 20 dollar bill in a Minneapolis store. The man in his forties, handcuffed, was pressed to the ground and Constable Derek Chauvin applied his knee to his neck to keep him there.
"I can't breathe," pleaded George Floyd several times before he lost consciousness. Despite passers-by, Derek Chauvin continued to apply pressure for almost eight minutes, according to the indictment.
A drama behind a mobilization against police violence
The drama, whose images captured by a passer-by went viral, sparked a wave of unprecedented protests since the great civil rights marches of the 1960s, which even went beyond American borders.
During the hearing, Derek Chauvin's lawyer complained that many officials, including the mayor of Minneapolis or even President Donald Trump, had commented on the case. "This is a file that is of great public interest," admitted Mr. Eric Nelson, "but if these statements continue I will ask the justice" to ban them, he threatened.
Judge Peter Cahill, who had banned the cameras in the courtroom, also wanted the case to be tried in court, not in the media. Otherwise, the trial will have to be changed outside of Hennepin County, he said. The magistrate fixed March 8, 2021, the possible date for its holding. This may however be reviewed depending on the progress of the procedure. The next hearing has been set for September 11.
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- United States
- Police violence
- George Floyd
- World