Derek Chauvin trial: Greatest homicide sleuth says it was ‘totally unnecessary’ to kneel on George Floyd

“Because if your knee is on someone’s neck – it might kill them,” Zimmerman said.

Chauvin at that moment raised his head to the defense table and glanced at Zimmerman.

The potentially devastating testimony came on the shortened fifth day of testimony from the closely watched trial. Judge Peter Cahill said he would send the jury home earlier because the trial was ahead of schedule.

Zimmerman said Chauvin’s actions were “completely unnecessary”.

“You have to get them off their chest,” the veteran investigator said at one point. “If you’re lying on your chest, it restricts your breathing even more.

Previously, jurors had heard testimony from the sergeant who had secured the area shortly after Chauvin knelt at Floyd’s neck.

Sgt. Jon Edwards, a 14-year-old police veteran, said he arrived at the scene of a “possible critical incident” shortly after 9:30 p.m. and asked other officers to probe the area for witnesses potentials.

At the scene, Edwards said, he instructed two officers – J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane – to activate their body-worn cameras. The two officers were subsequently charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder and aiding and abetting second degree manslaughter.

Zimmerman arrived at the scene on Chicago Avenue shortly before 10 p.m. Kueng and Lane were taken to City Hall as part of a critical incident investigation, according to Edwards.

Then a call to Sgt. David Pleoger, his supervisor at the time, was captured on body camera footage and acted out during Pleoger’s testimony on Thursday. Chauvin called shortly after kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes on May 25 to explain his version of what happened.

“I was just going to call and have you come to our stage here,” Chauvin told Pleoger. “We just had to hold a guy back. He was going crazy. He didn’t want … he wouldn’t go to the back of the team -“

The video ends but in the remainder of the call, Chauvin said Floyd had a medical emergency after struggling with officers trying to put him in a car, according to Pleoger. Chauvin didn’t mention keeping his knee on Floyd’s neck and back, Pleoger said.

Pleoger attended the scene and asked officers to speak to witnesses. “We can try, but they’re all quite hostile,” Chauvin replied.

Later that night, at the Hennepin County Medical Center, Chauvin told his supervisor he knelt on Floyd’s neck, Pleoger told the jury.

Chauvin’s body camera clip played for the jury on Wednesday also showed him defending his actions in front of a spectator who called him in for his treatment of Floyd.

“That’s one person’s opinion,” Chauvin replied, getting into his patrol car. “We had to control this guy because he’s a big guy. Looks like he’s probably on to something.”

Chauvin pleaded not guilty to second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter. The accused, in a suit and tie, sat at the defense table, taking notes on a large legal notepad.

Earlier Thursday, Floyd’s girlfriend opened up about Floyd’s struggles with opioid addiction, and two first responders testified that Floyd appeared dead when they arrived.

Supervisor says Chauvin’s use of force should have stopped sooner

Pleoger’s testimony centered on police protocols for the use of force. Officers can use force in certain circumstances, but force should stop once the person is under control.

Pleoger testified that his examination of the body camera images showed that Chauvin’s use of force should have stopped sooner.

“When Mr. Floyd no longer offered any resistance to the officers, they could have ended the restraint,” he said. “It would be reasonable to put one knee on someone’s neck until they are no longer resisting, but that should end when they are no longer fighting.”

He said officers are required to call an ambulance and provide emergency assistance while waiting for the ambulance. The restrained persons should be placed on their side to facilitate their breathing.

Pleoger, in cross-examination, said he did not conduct a formal use of force review because the death investigation had moved up the chain of command.

‘I thought he was dead’

Two Hennepin County paramedics said Floyd was unresponsive, breathing and pulsing when they arrived at the scene.

“Put simply, I thought he was dead,” said paramedic Derek Smith.

Smith and his partner Seth Bravinder were first called to the scene as a non-emergency Code 2 for a mouth injury. A minute and a half later, the call was upgraded to a code 3 – meaning the ambulance is using lights and sirens.

Floyd didn’t seem to be breathing or moving. Smith checked Floyd’s pulse and pupils while Chauvin kept his knee on him. The paramedic said he believed his heart had stopped. Bravinder motioned for Chauvin to lift Floyd’s knee to put him on a stretcher and into the ambulance.

Bravinder said they were concerned about the crowds of passers-by.

An officer got into the ambulance and helped with chest compressions. Smith removed Floyd’s handcuffs, he said. Bravinder stopped the ambulance at one point to help Floyd with treatment, he said.

In the ambulance, however, Floyd had stagnated – meaning his heart was showing no activity. Attempts to restart her heart with chest compressions, establishment of an airway and electric shock failed. They dropped him off at the hospital.

Floyd and his girlfriend battled opioid addiction

Courteney Ross, 45, told the jury that she met Floyd in August 2017. He worked as a security guard in the Salvation Army.

Floyd worked every day and never complained of shortness of breath, she said. It was a mom boy who was a “shell of himself” after his mother died in 2018.

They both had opioid addiction issues, she said. They were prescribed opioid pain relievers to treat chronic pain, which ultimately led to addiction and their use of street drugs, she said.

In March 2020, she found Floyd doubled in pain and took him to the emergency room, she testified. He had overdosed, she said. Ross said she thought he started using again in May 2020.

In their opening statements, prosecutors acknowledged Floyd’s history of opioid addiction, but said it was irrelevant to his death last May. But defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that Floyd’s real cause of death was drug use and several pre-existing health issues.