Where's the Thread on "George Floyd" ????
- Thread starter Ron in Regina
- Start date
due to the colour of the kid, the girlfriend is clearly a ho.
Could be a step-dad.due to the colour of the kid, the girlfriend is clearly a ho.
Judge and ye shall be judged.due to the colour of the kid, the girlfriend is clearly a ho.
due to the colour of the kid, the girlfriend is clearly a ho.
I never noticed that. He can't be the father.
George Floyd's friend accused of giving him the fake $20 note AND feeding his opiate addiction refuses to testify because 'he could incriminate himself in drug dealing and potential third-degree murder charges'
- Morries Lester Hall, who was in the car along with Floyd the day of his death, appeared in court via video link Tuesday; he had been held in Hennepin County Jail ahead of his appearance
- Hall, 42, had last week filed a shock notice stating his intention to plead the Fifth should he be called to testify
- Judge Peter Cahill told Chauvin's defense team to draw up a list of questions they would like to ask Hall by Thursday when he will make a final decision on the matter
- Former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter after being accused of pinning his knee down on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds last May 25
- He has pleaded not guilty, arguing that he did only what he was trained to do in his 19 years as a cop
PUBLISHED: 09:47 EDT, 6 April 2021 | UPDATED: 13:37 EDT, 6 April 2021
George Floyd's friend is refusing to testify at trial because he has not received immunity and his testimony could incriminate him in drug dealing and potential third degree murder charges, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Morries Lester Hall, who was in the car along with Floyd the day of his death and is accused of giving him the alleged fake $20 note police were called over, appeared in court via video link to hear the court's decision on whether or not to grant his motion to quash the subpoena calling for him to give testimony.
Hall, 42, had last week filed a shock notice with Hennepin County District Court stating his intention to plead the Fifth should he be called to testify by either side.
His bid to avoid testifying was filed the night before Floyd’s girlfriend Courtney Ross took the stand and told jurors that she and Floyd had bought opioids and drugs believed to be speedballs, a mix of methamphetamine and fentanyl, from Hall.
According to Ross, on one occasion when she took pills believed to be bought from Hall she 'felt like she was going to die.' Ross also revealed that Floyd had been hospitalized twice in March – on one occasion due to a drug overdose that saw him hospitalized for five days. She said the March pills did not come from Hall.
On Tuesday Hall appeared via media-link from Hennepin County Public Safety Facility where he has been held since his arrest on March 16 on charges of Violating a No Contact Order, Domestic Assault by Strangulation and another felony warrant. His bail was set at $10,000.
Hall had requested to be allowed to wear civilian clothes rather than jail ‘scrubs’ during the appearance and appeared in a suit Tuesday.
Judge Peter Cahill told Chauvin's defense team to draw up a list of questions they would like to ask Hall by Thursday when he will make a final decision on the matter.
Former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter after being accused of pinning his knee down on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds last May 25.
He has pleaded not guilty, arguing that he did only what he was trained to do in his 19 years as a cop.....More
Chauvin Trial Day 7 Wrap-Up: a horrible day for the prosecution
Prosecution visibly shaken after cross-examination of MPD force & medical expertsPosted by Andrew Branca Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 09:46pm 74 Comments
Read More
Really interesting read
Chauvin Trial Day 7 Wrap-Up: a horrible day for the prosecution
Prosecution visibly shaken after cross-examination of MPD force & medical experts
Posted by Andrew Branca Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 09:46pm 74 Comments
Read More
Does anybody think there will be any justice done with this circus trial? If he is found not guilty there will be riots regardless of the actual circumstances. If he is found guilty, how much will be because of media blitzing and preconceptions?
There's going to be rioting either way
Police trainer testifies Chauvin used unauthorized neck restraint on Floyd
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen and Brendan O'Brien
Publishing date:Apr 06, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
In this courtroom sketch, Minneapolis Police Lt. Johnny Mercil answers questions on the seventh day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
In this courtroom sketch, Minneapolis Police Lt. Johnny Mercil answers questions on the seventh day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Tuesday, April 6, 2021. PHOTO BY JANE ROSENBERG /REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Police Department’s coordinator on the use of force told jurors on Tuesday the neck restraint applied by former policeman Derek Chauvin in the deadly arrest of George Floyd was unauthorized and that officers are trained to use the least amount of force necessary.
Prosecutors in Chauvin’s murder trial presented three department witnesses to try to show that he disregarded training on appropriate use of force, employing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and dealing with crisis situations when he knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.
The handcuffed 46-year-old Black man fell limp and stopped breathing during the May 2020 arrest.
Lieutenant Johnny Mercil, who teaches the proper use of force for the department, was shown by one of the prosecutors a photograph of Chauvin using his knee to pin Floyd’s neck to the ground and was asked if the officer was using an authorized neck restraint under the circumstances.
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“I would say no,” Lieutenant Mercil testified.
Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges. Chauvin and three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. The incident prompted protests in cities across the United States and around the world against racism and police brutality.
Here is some testimony and highlights from court on Tuesday:
LIEUTENANT JOHNNY MERCIL, USE-OF-FORCE INSTRUCTOR WITH MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Mercil testified that officers are trained to use a proportional amount of force and on how to properly use neck restraints, handcuffs and straps.
“If you can use the least amount of force to meet your objectives, it is safer and better,” Mercil testified.
Mercil testified that a neck restraint designed to render a suspect unconscious neck is authorized only when the suspect is actively and aggressively resisting.
On cross-examination, Mercil agreed with Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson when asked whether officers must protect themselves when arresting unruly subjects during evolving situations. Nelson also questioned Mercil about safety precautions officers need to take when using neck restraints and using body weight to restrain individuals.
“We tell them to stay away from the neck when possible,” Mercil told jurors.
The city’s police chief testified on Monday that Chauvin violated department rules and its ethics code while arresting Floyd.
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NICOLE MACKENZIE, MEDICAL SUPPORT COORDINATOR
Officer Nicole Mackenzie, who trained officers including Chauvin in how and when to perform CPR, also testified. She told the jury that if officers cannot find a pulse on a subject, they are taught to immediately begin CPR and to administer first aid if they encounter a medical emergency. In this incident, Chauvin did not do so.
“Just because they’re speaking doesn’t mean they’re breathing adequately,” Mackenzie testified when a prosecutor asked if a person can speak if they cannot breathe.
Questioned by the defense, Mackenzie testified that officers must take into account the impact drugs may have on a subject’s behaviour and that they should also consider the safety of their surroundings when deciding whether to administer first aid.
SERGEANT KER YANG, CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING COORDINATOR
Sergeant Ker Yang, a crisis intervention training coordinator for the department, testified as the day’s first witness that Chauvin completed 40 hours of training on dealing with suspects going through a crisis.
Yang said police are trained to use principles such as neutrality, respect and trust in crisis intervention situations, and how to spot and interact with suspects going through a crisis.
HEARING ON REQUEST TO QUASH SUBPOENA
Before the jury was brought into the courtroom in the morning, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill heard arguments on a request by a friend of Floyd to quash a prosecution subpoena for him to testify.
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The friend, Morries Hall, was in the car with Floyd when police arrived. Hall has said that he would invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination if he had to appear in the witness stand.
Nelson told Cahill he planned to ask Hall whether he gave Floyd any controlled substances and why Hall left Minnesota immediately after the incident. Floyd’s girlfriend testified last week that she and Floyd struggled with opioid addiction, and that she thought Hall sometimes illegally sold pills to Floyd.
The judge said Hall should be able to testify on Floyd’s condition in the car and whether he fell asleep suddenly after possibly taking opioid pills. Cahill gave Nelson until Thursday to draft potential questions.
The county medical examiner has ruled Floyd’s death a homicide at the hands of the police, and noted Floyd had also taken the fentanyl and methamphetamine before his death. Chauvin’s lawyers argue Floyd’s death was a drug overdose, though prosecutors have said medical evidence would contradict that.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen and Brendan O'Brien
Publishing date:Apr 06, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
In this courtroom sketch, Minneapolis Police Lt. Johnny Mercil answers questions on the seventh day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
In this courtroom sketch, Minneapolis Police Lt. Johnny Mercil answers questions on the seventh day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Tuesday, April 6, 2021. PHOTO BY JANE ROSENBERG /REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Police Department’s coordinator on the use of force told jurors on Tuesday the neck restraint applied by former policeman Derek Chauvin in the deadly arrest of George Floyd was unauthorized and that officers are trained to use the least amount of force necessary.
Prosecutors in Chauvin’s murder trial presented three department witnesses to try to show that he disregarded training on appropriate use of force, employing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and dealing with crisis situations when he knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.
The handcuffed 46-year-old Black man fell limp and stopped breathing during the May 2020 arrest.
Lieutenant Johnny Mercil, who teaches the proper use of force for the department, was shown by one of the prosecutors a photograph of Chauvin using his knee to pin Floyd’s neck to the ground and was asked if the officer was using an authorized neck restraint under the circumstances.
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“I would say no,” Lieutenant Mercil testified.
Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges. Chauvin and three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. The incident prompted protests in cities across the United States and around the world against racism and police brutality.
Here is some testimony and highlights from court on Tuesday:
LIEUTENANT JOHNNY MERCIL, USE-OF-FORCE INSTRUCTOR WITH MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Mercil testified that officers are trained to use a proportional amount of force and on how to properly use neck restraints, handcuffs and straps.
“If you can use the least amount of force to meet your objectives, it is safer and better,” Mercil testified.
Mercil testified that a neck restraint designed to render a suspect unconscious neck is authorized only when the suspect is actively and aggressively resisting.
On cross-examination, Mercil agreed with Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson when asked whether officers must protect themselves when arresting unruly subjects during evolving situations. Nelson also questioned Mercil about safety precautions officers need to take when using neck restraints and using body weight to restrain individuals.
“We tell them to stay away from the neck when possible,” Mercil told jurors.
The city’s police chief testified on Monday that Chauvin violated department rules and its ethics code while arresting Floyd.
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NICOLE MACKENZIE, MEDICAL SUPPORT COORDINATOR
Officer Nicole Mackenzie, who trained officers including Chauvin in how and when to perform CPR, also testified. She told the jury that if officers cannot find a pulse on a subject, they are taught to immediately begin CPR and to administer first aid if they encounter a medical emergency. In this incident, Chauvin did not do so.
“Just because they’re speaking doesn’t mean they’re breathing adequately,” Mackenzie testified when a prosecutor asked if a person can speak if they cannot breathe.
Questioned by the defense, Mackenzie testified that officers must take into account the impact drugs may have on a subject’s behaviour and that they should also consider the safety of their surroundings when deciding whether to administer first aid.
SERGEANT KER YANG, CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING COORDINATOR
Sergeant Ker Yang, a crisis intervention training coordinator for the department, testified as the day’s first witness that Chauvin completed 40 hours of training on dealing with suspects going through a crisis.
Yang said police are trained to use principles such as neutrality, respect and trust in crisis intervention situations, and how to spot and interact with suspects going through a crisis.
HEARING ON REQUEST TO QUASH SUBPOENA
Before the jury was brought into the courtroom in the morning, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill heard arguments on a request by a friend of Floyd to quash a prosecution subpoena for him to testify.
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The friend, Morries Hall, was in the car with Floyd when police arrived. Hall has said that he would invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination if he had to appear in the witness stand.
Nelson told Cahill he planned to ask Hall whether he gave Floyd any controlled substances and why Hall left Minnesota immediately after the incident. Floyd’s girlfriend testified last week that she and Floyd struggled with opioid addiction, and that she thought Hall sometimes illegally sold pills to Floyd.
The judge said Hall should be able to testify on Floyd’s condition in the car and whether he fell asleep suddenly after possibly taking opioid pills. Cahill gave Nelson until Thursday to draft potential questions.
The county medical examiner has ruled Floyd’s death a homicide at the hands of the police, and noted Floyd had also taken the fentanyl and methamphetamine before his death. Chauvin’s lawyers argue Floyd’s death was a drug overdose, though prosecutors have said medical evidence would contradict that.
Police trainer testifies Chauvin used unauthorized neck restraint on Floyd
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Police Department’s coordinator on the use of force told jurors on Tuesday the neck restraint applied by former policeman Derek Chauvi…
'NO FORCE WAS REASONABLE': Expert testifies in Chauvin murder trial
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen and Brendan O'Brien
Publishing date:Apr 07, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 3 minute read • 17 Comments
Sgt. Jody Stiger of the Los Angeles Police Department answers questions during the eighth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 7, 2021 in a still image from video.
Sgt. Jody Stiger of the Los Angeles Police Department answers questions during the eighth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 7, 2021 in a still image from video. PHOTO BY POOL VIA REUTERS /Pool via REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone.
Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin’s murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May.
Stiger told jurors that Floyd posed no immediate threat and was not actively resisting when Chauvin used deadly force on him by pinning his neck to the ground for more than nine minutes.
“My opinion was that no force was reasonable in that position,” Stiger testified. “The pressure … caused by the body weight could cause positional asphyxia and could cause death.”
Floyd’s death, captured on video widely viewed on social media, prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities across the United States and around the world.
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Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he was following the training he had received in his 19 years on the police force. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting murder and will stand trial later this year.
Chauvin and the three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. They were fired the day after the incident.
Stiger, who has reviewed 2,500 cases in which police used force, resumed his testimony after first appearing on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked him to describe several photographs showing officers restraining Floyd. Stiger testified that it appeared Chauvin’s use of force was excessive.
“He was handcuffed, not attempting to resist, not attempting to assault officers, kick, punch of that nature,” Stiger said of Floyd.
Stiger testified that Chauvin squeezed Floyd’s hand to get him to comply with the officer’s orders while he was handcuffed in the prone position and that Floyd did not appear to have an opportunity to comply.
“At that point, it was just pain,” Stiger said.
‘HAS TO BE PROPORTIONAL’
Questioned by defense lawyer Eric Nelson, Stiger agreed that a police officer needed to take into account various factors during a fluid situation when considering using force.
“It has to be proportional,” Stiger said. “You are constantly reassessing during the time frame.”
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Stiger also agreed with Nelson that Chauvin came upon a situation in which a suspect was actively resisting officers who were trying to put him into a police squad car as people in a crowd yelled insults at them, posing a “potential threat.”
Nelson showed Stiger photographs taken at different times of the incident showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd. Nelson asked Stiger whether he agreed that Chauvin’s knee was on Floyd’s shoulder blades rather than his neck.
“It appears to be more above the shoulder blades than on the shoulder blades,” Stiger testified, not agreeing with Nelson.
Prosecutors then called three Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators, including Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, an expert on the use of force and the lead investigator in the case.
Part of Reyerson’s testimony involved the investigation of the police squad car and Floyd’s Mercedes Benz vehicle.
Reyerson testified that six months after the incident, Chauvin’s lawyers re-examined the police car and found what was later determined to be pills that had Floyd’s DNA on them. During its opening statement in the trial, Chauvin’s defense team said the pills contained methamphetamine with fentanyl.
Reyerson agreed with Nelson that it sounded on one video of the incident as if Floyd said he “ate too many drugs.” But during more questioning later from the prosecution, Reyerson agreed that it sounded as if Floyd said: “I ain’t do no drugs.”
Later in the day, McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist with the bureau, took the stand to describe collecting pills from the vehicles over the course of the investigation, including whole and partial tablets from the police squad car.
She testified that Floyd’s blood was found in the back of the squad car and that pills found in the vehicle had saliva that matched Floyd’s DNA.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen and Brendan O'Brien
Publishing date:Apr 07, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 3 minute read • 17 Comments
Sgt. Jody Stiger of the Los Angeles Police Department answers questions during the eighth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 7, 2021 in a still image from video.
Sgt. Jody Stiger of the Los Angeles Police Department answers questions during the eighth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 7, 2021 in a still image from video. PHOTO BY POOL VIA REUTERS /Pool via REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone.
Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin’s murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May.
Stiger told jurors that Floyd posed no immediate threat and was not actively resisting when Chauvin used deadly force on him by pinning his neck to the ground for more than nine minutes.
“My opinion was that no force was reasonable in that position,” Stiger testified. “The pressure … caused by the body weight could cause positional asphyxia and could cause death.”
Floyd’s death, captured on video widely viewed on social media, prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities across the United States and around the world.
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Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he was following the training he had received in his 19 years on the police force. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting murder and will stand trial later this year.
Chauvin and the three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. They were fired the day after the incident.
Stiger, who has reviewed 2,500 cases in which police used force, resumed his testimony after first appearing on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked him to describe several photographs showing officers restraining Floyd. Stiger testified that it appeared Chauvin’s use of force was excessive.
“He was handcuffed, not attempting to resist, not attempting to assault officers, kick, punch of that nature,” Stiger said of Floyd.
Stiger testified that Chauvin squeezed Floyd’s hand to get him to comply with the officer’s orders while he was handcuffed in the prone position and that Floyd did not appear to have an opportunity to comply.
“At that point, it was just pain,” Stiger said.
‘HAS TO BE PROPORTIONAL’
Questioned by defense lawyer Eric Nelson, Stiger agreed that a police officer needed to take into account various factors during a fluid situation when considering using force.
“It has to be proportional,” Stiger said. “You are constantly reassessing during the time frame.”
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Stiger also agreed with Nelson that Chauvin came upon a situation in which a suspect was actively resisting officers who were trying to put him into a police squad car as people in a crowd yelled insults at them, posing a “potential threat.”
Nelson showed Stiger photographs taken at different times of the incident showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd. Nelson asked Stiger whether he agreed that Chauvin’s knee was on Floyd’s shoulder blades rather than his neck.
“It appears to be more above the shoulder blades than on the shoulder blades,” Stiger testified, not agreeing with Nelson.
Prosecutors then called three Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators, including Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, an expert on the use of force and the lead investigator in the case.
Part of Reyerson’s testimony involved the investigation of the police squad car and Floyd’s Mercedes Benz vehicle.
Reyerson testified that six months after the incident, Chauvin’s lawyers re-examined the police car and found what was later determined to be pills that had Floyd’s DNA on them. During its opening statement in the trial, Chauvin’s defense team said the pills contained methamphetamine with fentanyl.
Reyerson agreed with Nelson that it sounded on one video of the incident as if Floyd said he “ate too many drugs.” But during more questioning later from the prosecution, Reyerson agreed that it sounded as if Floyd said: “I ain’t do no drugs.”
Later in the day, McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist with the bureau, took the stand to describe collecting pills from the vehicles over the course of the investigation, including whole and partial tablets from the police squad car.
She testified that Floyd’s blood was found in the back of the squad car and that pills found in the vehicle had saliva that matched Floyd’s DNA.
'NO FORCE WAS REASONABLE': Expert testifies in Chauvin murder trial
MINNEAPOLIS — A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on th…
Chauvin Trial Day 8 Wrap-Up: “I Ate Too Many Drugs” Video May Be Game-Changer
Once again the defense weaponizes prosecution ‘expert’ witnesses against the prosecution case.
Posted by Andrew Branca Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 10:22pm 92 Comments
Doctors undermine 'drug overdose' defence in Derek Chauvin's murder trial
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Chicago-based breathing expert Dr. Martin Tobin answers questions during the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in a still image from video.
Chicago-based breathing expert Dr. Martin Tobin answers questions during the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in a still image from video. PHOTO BY POOL VIA REUTERS /Pool via REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — Two medical experts used anatomical diagrams and charts to testify on Thursday that George Floyd was killed by police pinning him to the ground, not a drug overdose, undermining a key assertion by former police officer Derek Chauvin in his murder trial for Floyd’s deadly arrest.
Dr. Martin Tobin, who treats patients in a Chicago hospital’s intensive care unit, told the jury that Floyd died “from a low level of oxygen” caused by being handcuffed face down in the street with the police officer’s knee on his neck. Video of the arrest last May sparked global protests.
Tobin said any “healthy person” would have died in a similar restraint, which he compared to a vice, confirming the county medical examiner’s finding that Floyd’s death was a homicide at the hands of police.
A second doctor said the toxicology tests he performed on Floyd’s blood found levels of fentanyl that were comparable to those found in samples taken from living people detained for driving under the influence of narcotics.
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Video of the arrest showed Chauvin, who is white, pinning Floyd’s neck to the ground with his knees for more than nine minutes as Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, begged for his life, gasping more than two dozen times: “I can’t breathe.” Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges.
Here are important moments from the ninth day of witness testimony:
DR. DANIEL ISENSCHMID, TOXICOLOGIST WHO TESTED FLOYD BLOOD SAMPLES
Isenschmid said the amount of methamphetamine in samples of blood taken after Floyd’s death, 19 nanograms per milliliter, was similar to levels a doctor would expect to see in a patient after taking a single dose of the drug in a prescribed form for attention-deficit disorder.
He said the concentration of fentanyl in Floyd’s blood was 11 ng/ml, and there was evidence a lot of the opioid had been broken down in Floyd’s body to norfentanyl, which a doctor would not expect to see in someone killed rapidly in an overdose.
Isenschmid also compiled data from his office on samples taken from 2,345 people stopped for driving under the influence in 2020, noting that people addicted to opioids need to take higher doses as tolerance builds up. The average level of fentanyl found in the blood of those people, all of whom were alive, was 9.69 ng/ml, he said.
DR. MARTIN TOBIN, EXPERT IN THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Tobin said Floyd’s breathing became fatally shallow under the police restraint but that the number of breaths he took per minute did not decrease up until the moment he lost consciousness, contradicting a defence theory.
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Tobin said that a fentanyl overdose, in contrast, is marked by a sharp decrease in the frequency of breaths.
The shallow breaths resulted from a combination of measures applied by police, including placing Floyd prone on the street, handcuffing his hands behind his back and the officer kneeling on his back and neck, he said.
Tobin unbuttoned his shirt collar at one point and most jurors followed his request to do the same as he felt his neck, describing how Chauvin’s knee compressed the delicate tissue of the hypopharynx, blocking that part of the respiratory system in the lower part of the throat.
Tobin calculated that at times, Chauvin, who suspected Floyd of passing a fake $20 bill, was exerting 91.5 pounds (41.5 kg) of downward pressure on Floyd’s neck.
Tobin discussed frames from the video that he said showed Floyd trying to push his chest up from the street using his fingers and his face as leverage as he struggled for breath beneath Chauvin and three other officers.
“They’re pushing the handcuffs into his back and pushing them high, then on the other side you have the street. The street is playing the crucial part,” Tobin said. “It’s like the left side is in a vice.”
Chauvin can be heard on video dismissing Floyd’s pleas by saying: “It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to say things.”
Tobin called that a “dangerous mantra.”
“It’s a true statement, but it gives you an enormous false sense of security,” Tobin said. “Certainly at the moment you’re speaking, you are breathing, but it doesn’t tell you if you’re going to be breathing five seconds later.”
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Tobin said Floyd’s leg could be seen jumping up in an involuntary seizure as his brain was starved of oxygen.
Soon after, Tobin said, the moment came when Floyd did not have even “an ounce of oxygen left in his entire body,” although Chauvin’s knee stayed on Floyd’s neck for three more minutes.
In cross-examination, Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lead lawyer, asked Tobin if he had personally weighed Chauvin, who in police reports is recorded as 140 pounds (63.5 kg), or Chauvin’s equipment in order to calculate the pressure applied by the officer’s knee. Tobin said he had not.
Nelson sought to get Tobin to say Floyd’s death could have been caused by fentanyl, but Tobin said medical evidence contradicted that.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Chicago-based breathing expert Dr. Martin Tobin answers questions during the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in a still image from video.
Chicago-based breathing expert Dr. Martin Tobin answers questions during the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in a still image from video. PHOTO BY POOL VIA REUTERS /Pool via REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — Two medical experts used anatomical diagrams and charts to testify on Thursday that George Floyd was killed by police pinning him to the ground, not a drug overdose, undermining a key assertion by former police officer Derek Chauvin in his murder trial for Floyd’s deadly arrest.
Dr. Martin Tobin, who treats patients in a Chicago hospital’s intensive care unit, told the jury that Floyd died “from a low level of oxygen” caused by being handcuffed face down in the street with the police officer’s knee on his neck. Video of the arrest last May sparked global protests.
Tobin said any “healthy person” would have died in a similar restraint, which he compared to a vice, confirming the county medical examiner’s finding that Floyd’s death was a homicide at the hands of police.
A second doctor said the toxicology tests he performed on Floyd’s blood found levels of fentanyl that were comparable to those found in samples taken from living people detained for driving under the influence of narcotics.
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Video of the arrest showed Chauvin, who is white, pinning Floyd’s neck to the ground with his knees for more than nine minutes as Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, begged for his life, gasping more than two dozen times: “I can’t breathe.” Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges.
Here are important moments from the ninth day of witness testimony:
DR. DANIEL ISENSCHMID, TOXICOLOGIST WHO TESTED FLOYD BLOOD SAMPLES
Isenschmid said the amount of methamphetamine in samples of blood taken after Floyd’s death, 19 nanograms per milliliter, was similar to levels a doctor would expect to see in a patient after taking a single dose of the drug in a prescribed form for attention-deficit disorder.
He said the concentration of fentanyl in Floyd’s blood was 11 ng/ml, and there was evidence a lot of the opioid had been broken down in Floyd’s body to norfentanyl, which a doctor would not expect to see in someone killed rapidly in an overdose.
Isenschmid also compiled data from his office on samples taken from 2,345 people stopped for driving under the influence in 2020, noting that people addicted to opioids need to take higher doses as tolerance builds up. The average level of fentanyl found in the blood of those people, all of whom were alive, was 9.69 ng/ml, he said.
DR. MARTIN TOBIN, EXPERT IN THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Tobin said Floyd’s breathing became fatally shallow under the police restraint but that the number of breaths he took per minute did not decrease up until the moment he lost consciousness, contradicting a defence theory.
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Tobin said that a fentanyl overdose, in contrast, is marked by a sharp decrease in the frequency of breaths.
The shallow breaths resulted from a combination of measures applied by police, including placing Floyd prone on the street, handcuffing his hands behind his back and the officer kneeling on his back and neck, he said.
Tobin unbuttoned his shirt collar at one point and most jurors followed his request to do the same as he felt his neck, describing how Chauvin’s knee compressed the delicate tissue of the hypopharynx, blocking that part of the respiratory system in the lower part of the throat.
Tobin calculated that at times, Chauvin, who suspected Floyd of passing a fake $20 bill, was exerting 91.5 pounds (41.5 kg) of downward pressure on Floyd’s neck.
Tobin discussed frames from the video that he said showed Floyd trying to push his chest up from the street using his fingers and his face as leverage as he struggled for breath beneath Chauvin and three other officers.
“They’re pushing the handcuffs into his back and pushing them high, then on the other side you have the street. The street is playing the crucial part,” Tobin said. “It’s like the left side is in a vice.”
Chauvin can be heard on video dismissing Floyd’s pleas by saying: “It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to say things.”
Tobin called that a “dangerous mantra.”
“It’s a true statement, but it gives you an enormous false sense of security,” Tobin said. “Certainly at the moment you’re speaking, you are breathing, but it doesn’t tell you if you’re going to be breathing five seconds later.”
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Tobin said Floyd’s leg could be seen jumping up in an involuntary seizure as his brain was starved of oxygen.
Soon after, Tobin said, the moment came when Floyd did not have even “an ounce of oxygen left in his entire body,” although Chauvin’s knee stayed on Floyd’s neck for three more minutes.
In cross-examination, Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lead lawyer, asked Tobin if he had personally weighed Chauvin, who in police reports is recorded as 140 pounds (63.5 kg), or Chauvin’s equipment in order to calculate the pressure applied by the officer’s knee. Tobin said he had not.
Nelson sought to get Tobin to say Floyd’s death could have been caused by fentanyl, but Tobin said medical evidence contradicted that.
Doctors undermine 'drug overdose' defence in Derek Chauvin's murder trial
MINNEAPOLIS — Two medical experts used anatomical diagrams and charts to testify on Thursday that George Floyd was killed by police pinning him to the ground, not a…
Chauvin Trial Day 9 Wrap-Up: Medical Experts Resuscitate Prosecution Case
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Posted by Andrew Branca Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 11:19pm 62 Comments
Doctor who performed George Floyd autopsy stands by homicide conclusion
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen
Publishing date:Apr 09, 2021 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read • 5 Comments
An image of George Floyd's arrest is displayed on a screen on the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in this courtroom sketch.
An image of George Floyd's arrest is displayed on a screen on the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in this courtroom sketch. PHOTO BY JANE ROSENBERG /REUTERS
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MINNEAPOLIS — The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on George Floyd after last May’s deadly arrest explained how he concluded the death was a homicide at the hands of police in testimony on Friday at former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
As jurors studied autopsy photographs, Dr. Andrew Baker, Hennepin County’s chief medical examiner, said he stood by the cause of death he determined last year: “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.”
In short, Baker ruled that Floyd’s heart stopped beating and his lungs stopped working because Chauvin, 45, and other officers pinned him to the ground in a way that starved his body of oxygen.
Prosecutors also have presented testimony from four other medical experts to challenge Chauvin’s defense against murder and manslaughter charges – that Floyd may have died of a drug overdose – and back up Baker’s findings. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty.
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Chauvin, who is white, was seen in videos of the arrest kneeling for more than nine minutes on Floyd’s neck as the 46-year-old Black man, in handcuffs, begged for his life in a fading voice. Floyd’s death prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities in the United States and around the world.
Here is a look at some important moments from the 10th day of witness testimony in the trial:
DR. ANDREW BAKER, MEDICAL EXAMINER WHO PERFORMED FLOYD AUTOPSY
Baker described how he performed the autopsy, including extra steps to cut into the flesh around where Floyd’s wrists were handcuffed and along his back to look for bruising from the arrest. Chauvin and three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a grocery store. They were fired the following day.
Baker said he noted Floyd’s heart disease and the fentanyl and methamphetamine found in his blood on the death certificate because they may have played a role in the death, but “were not direct causes.”
“Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint, his heart disease did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint,” Baker told the jury, referring to the way police pressed Floyd face down against the street.
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell asked Baker why he did not photograph Floyd’s heart, anticipating questions by Chauvin’s lawyer on whether heart disease caused Floyd’s death.
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“I don’t normally photograph organs that appear to be perfectly normal unless there’s some reason to,” Baker said. “I don’t have a photograph of Mr. Floyd’s spleen or Mr. Floyd’s liver, either, because those were also grossly normal.”
DR. LINDSEY THOMAS, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST
Dr. Lindsey Thomas, an assistant medical examiner in the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office until she went into “semi-retirement” in 2017, said the sheer volume of videos of Floyd’s arrest helped support Baker’s findings.
“There’s never been a case I was involved in that had videos over such a long time frame and from so many different perspectives,” Thomas testified, saying the videos made it clear physical signs associated with opioid overdose were not present in Floyd’s death.
Thomas said she had performed more than 5,000 autopsies during her career. While physically examining a body can be helpful in determining a cause of death, Thomas said other records and inquiries can sometimes be even more illuminating.
“What was absolutely unique in this case was the volume of materials I had to review,” Thomas said, referring to videos recorded on bystanders’ cellphones and police body-worn cameras.
Thomas said the videos made clear this was not a sudden death from a heart attack. She said the videos also did not show signs of a fentanyl overdose “where someone becomes very sleepy and then just sort of gradually, calmly, peacefully stops breathing.”
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Jurors were handed envelopes containing photographs of Floyd’s corpse. Thomas drew their attention to abrasions on the left side of Floyd’s face and his shoulder – wounds she called “consistent with what it looks like on the video, that he’s struggling to push himself into a position where he can breathe.”
Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lead lawyer, got Thomas to agree that being prone was not in itself sufficient to kill someone, noting that massage therapists sometimes have clients lie face down.
“I could be laying by the pool in Florida on my stomach in the prone position – not inherently dangerous?” Nelson asked.
“Right,” Thomas replied.
Nelson asked her about hypothetical scenarios, with Floyd being found dead in different circumstances in which police were not involved.
Blackwell, the prosecutor, subsequently asked Thomas, “George Floyd was not laying by the pool on his stomach in Florida, was he?”
Thomas agreed, saying: “There’s no evidence to suggest he would have died that night except for the interactions with law enforcement.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Allen
Publishing date:Apr 09, 2021 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read • 5 Comments
An image of George Floyd's arrest is displayed on a screen on the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in this courtroom sketch.
An image of George Floyd's arrest is displayed on a screen on the ninth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., April 8, 2021 in this courtroom sketch. PHOTO BY JANE ROSENBERG /REUTERS
Article content
MINNEAPOLIS — The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on George Floyd after last May’s deadly arrest explained how he concluded the death was a homicide at the hands of police in testimony on Friday at former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
As jurors studied autopsy photographs, Dr. Andrew Baker, Hennepin County’s chief medical examiner, said he stood by the cause of death he determined last year: “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.”
In short, Baker ruled that Floyd’s heart stopped beating and his lungs stopped working because Chauvin, 45, and other officers pinned him to the ground in a way that starved his body of oxygen.
Prosecutors also have presented testimony from four other medical experts to challenge Chauvin’s defense against murder and manslaughter charges – that Floyd may have died of a drug overdose – and back up Baker’s findings. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty.
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Chauvin, who is white, was seen in videos of the arrest kneeling for more than nine minutes on Floyd’s neck as the 46-year-old Black man, in handcuffs, begged for his life in a fading voice. Floyd’s death prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities in the United States and around the world.
Here is a look at some important moments from the 10th day of witness testimony in the trial:
DR. ANDREW BAKER, MEDICAL EXAMINER WHO PERFORMED FLOYD AUTOPSY
Baker described how he performed the autopsy, including extra steps to cut into the flesh around where Floyd’s wrists were handcuffed and along his back to look for bruising from the arrest. Chauvin and three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a grocery store. They were fired the following day.
Baker said he noted Floyd’s heart disease and the fentanyl and methamphetamine found in his blood on the death certificate because they may have played a role in the death, but “were not direct causes.”
“Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint, his heart disease did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint,” Baker told the jury, referring to the way police pressed Floyd face down against the street.
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell asked Baker why he did not photograph Floyd’s heart, anticipating questions by Chauvin’s lawyer on whether heart disease caused Floyd’s death.
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“I don’t normally photograph organs that appear to be perfectly normal unless there’s some reason to,” Baker said. “I don’t have a photograph of Mr. Floyd’s spleen or Mr. Floyd’s liver, either, because those were also grossly normal.”
DR. LINDSEY THOMAS, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST
Dr. Lindsey Thomas, an assistant medical examiner in the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office until she went into “semi-retirement” in 2017, said the sheer volume of videos of Floyd’s arrest helped support Baker’s findings.
“There’s never been a case I was involved in that had videos over such a long time frame and from so many different perspectives,” Thomas testified, saying the videos made it clear physical signs associated with opioid overdose were not present in Floyd’s death.
Thomas said she had performed more than 5,000 autopsies during her career. While physically examining a body can be helpful in determining a cause of death, Thomas said other records and inquiries can sometimes be even more illuminating.
“What was absolutely unique in this case was the volume of materials I had to review,” Thomas said, referring to videos recorded on bystanders’ cellphones and police body-worn cameras.
Thomas said the videos made clear this was not a sudden death from a heart attack. She said the videos also did not show signs of a fentanyl overdose “where someone becomes very sleepy and then just sort of gradually, calmly, peacefully stops breathing.”
Advertisement
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Article content
Jurors were handed envelopes containing photographs of Floyd’s corpse. Thomas drew their attention to abrasions on the left side of Floyd’s face and his shoulder – wounds she called “consistent with what it looks like on the video, that he’s struggling to push himself into a position where he can breathe.”
Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lead lawyer, got Thomas to agree that being prone was not in itself sufficient to kill someone, noting that massage therapists sometimes have clients lie face down.
“I could be laying by the pool in Florida on my stomach in the prone position – not inherently dangerous?” Nelson asked.
“Right,” Thomas replied.
Nelson asked her about hypothetical scenarios, with Floyd being found dead in different circumstances in which police were not involved.
Blackwell, the prosecutor, subsequently asked Thomas, “George Floyd was not laying by the pool on his stomach in Florida, was he?”
Thomas agreed, saying: “There’s no evidence to suggest he would have died that night except for the interactions with law enforcement.”
Doctor who performed George Floyd autopsy stands by homicide conclusion
MINNEAPOLIS — The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on George Floyd after last May’s deadly arrest explained how he concluded the death was a homicide at t…
Chauvin Trial Day 10 Wrap-Up: Defense Raises More Reasonable Doubt with State Witnesses
Floyd’s Health & Drug Problems Alone Would Be Reasonable Causes of Death
Posted by Andrew Branca Monday, April 12, 2021 at 12:10am 55 Comments