The trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer accused of killing George Floyd in May 2020, began in earnest Monday in Minneapolis, United States.
The video of the violent arrest was released in full by the prosecutor.
The police officer's lawyer will try to prove that George Floyd did not die from this arrest, but from an overdose.
After three weeks devoted to the selection of jurors, the substantive debates were able to begin Monday in Minneapolis, United States, where the trial of Derek Chauvin is being held.
This white police officer is on trial for the death of George Floyd during a very violent arrest in May 2020. Derek Chauvin had remained kneeling for nearly nine minutes on the neck of the black forty-something, pinned to the ground and handcuffed.
Her ordeal was filmed by a passerby and shocked the whole world, leading to the Black Lives Matter movement.
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"Mr. Chauvin betrayed his oath with excessive and unreasonable use of force"
Monday was marked by the screening of the famous video, broadcast in full in the morning by prosecutor Jerry W. Blackwell.
"We are going to prove to you that Mr. Chauvin is not innocent", he explained, "he betrayed his oath with an excessive and unreasonable use of force on the body of Mr. Floyd".
Derek Chauvin was present in the courtroom.
We saw him watching this video, showing no emotion and taking some notes in a notebook.
Jurors, who remain anonymous, do not appear onscreen as the trial airs nationwide.
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Derek Chauvin's lawyer will try, over the next few weeks, to prove that George Floyd did not die because of this arrest, but after an overdose.
He asked jurors to stick to the facts.
"There is no political or social cause in this courtroom," said Eric Nelson, "the evidence is much more important than 9 minutes and 29 seconds".
George Floyd's relatives gathered on Monday morning in front of the Minneapolis courthouse.
The family lawyer talks about a historic lawsuit for America.
The rally was concluded with a symbolic gesture: they all knelt together for nearly nine minutes.