George Floyd Death Trial: Police Expert Says Former Constable Derek Chauvin Used Inappropriate ‘Lethal Force’

The police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd last year used inappropriate “deadly force” when kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes.an expert said Wednesday in court where the trial is taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jody Stiger, a use of force specialist who testifies for the prosecution, was questioned during the trial against Derek Chauvin, the white officer seen on video kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a black man.

Stiger said Chauvin’s actions, shown on video during questioning, were “deadly force”., because Floyd “was lying down.

“And the pressure … caused by (Chauvin’s) body weight could cause positional asphyxiation, which could lead to death,” he said.

Images of Floyd’s arrest, which resulted in his death on May 25, 2020, sparked protests against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States and around the world.. Floyd was arrested on suspicion of using a fake $ 20 bill at a nearby store.

When asked what force it was reasonable to apply after Floyd was face down, handcuffed and unresisting, Stiger, a police officer from Los Angeles, replied: in that position.

“An officer can only use a level of force proportional to the seriousness of the crime or the level of resistance“, Held.

Prosecutors seek to prove Floyd’s death was due to suffocation, while Chauvin’s defense claims it was due to illegal drugs in Floyd’s body.

On Tuesday, Johnny Mercil, Minneapolis Police Use of Force Coordinator, said kneeling like Chauvin did on Floyd’s neck was not an authorized procedure.

Chauvin, 45, was fired from police after the incident and pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter.

With information from AFP

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