"Today begins a historic trial that will be a referendum on how far America has traveled in its quest for equality and justice for all," Ben Crump, counsel for the Floyd family, said Monday March 29. before the hearing of the trial of the white police officer accused of the murder of George Floyd.

After three weeks devoted to the selection of jurors, the prosecution must present its case against Derek Chauvin, 45, including 19 in the Minneapolis police department, on trial for murder and manslaughter.

"The whole world is watching," the lawyer continued, before kneeling with relatives of the victim for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time during which Derek Chauvin remained kneeling on George Floyd's neck on the 25th. May in Minneapolis.

Her ordeal was filmed and uploaded by a passerby.

The images went around the world and brought crowds to the streets of New York, Seattle, Paris or Sydney to denounce racism and police violence against minorities.

"Chauvin is on the dock, but it is America that is on trial," said Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist who came to Minneapolis on purpose for this "historic" hearing.

According to the defense George Floyd died of "cardiac arrhythmia resulting from his hypertension, coronary artery disease, ingestion of methamphetamine and fentanyl and adrenaline present in his body".

#ChauvinTrial pic.twitter.com/gjzWpP24Pw

- Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) March 29, 2021

"An overdose of excessive force"

It is a famous African-American lawyer, Jerry Blackwell, who is to speak for the prosecution, in a public building transformed into an entrenched camp for this exceptional trial which is to last three or four weeks.

Authorities have called for calm and "peaceful demonstrations" during the trial, as protesters are scheduled to meet in court on Monday morning.

Prosecutors will try to show that Derek Chauvin, who appears free, showed contempt for the life of George Floyd, by maintaining his pressure even though he had said twenty times "I cannot breathe", that he passed out, and her pulse was finally gone.

Me Eric Nelson, Derek Chauvin's lawyer who pleads not guilty, will instead ensure that the police officer was content to follow authorized procedures to control a recalcitrant suspect and that he is not responsible for the death of George Floyd.

According to Me Nelson, the forty-something, who suffered from health problems, would have succumbed to an overdose of fentanyl, a powerful opiate whose traces were found at the autopsy.

He "will try to smear" the memory of George Floyd but "the facts are simple. What killed him was an overdose of excessive force", retorted Ben Crump, accusing the ex-policeman of having "tortured" George Floyd.

Fear of further riots

Epidemic obliges, the trial takes place without an audience but the hearings are broadcast live and many Americans should follow them.

The verdict is expected in late April or early May.

The twelve jurors will have to rule unanimously, otherwise the trial will be considered void.

This scenario, or an acquittal, could spark further riots in Minneapolis, which already flared up in late May.

Prosecutions against police officers for violence committed in the performance of their duties are indeed very rare and convictions even more.

The city hall of Minneapolis, which decided to reform the police force in depth, agreed in mid-March to pay $ 27 million in damages to the family of George Floyd to put an end to his civil complaint.

"I have a huge void in my heart, it can not be filled, no amount of money can. We want a conviction," said Sunday evening the brother of George Floyd, Philonise.

Derek Chauvin's lawyer criticized the agreement, which he said could influence jurors.

Also because of the Covid-19, the three other police officers involved in the tragedy, Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, will be tried in August for "complicity in murder".

With AFP

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