After a week of emotional testimonies and heated cross-examinations, Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd begs the question: Who’s actually being tried right now?
The legal defense team representing Chauvin, the ex-cop who has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, is not only placing blame on the slain 46-year-old Black man, but the bystanders who were present. Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, argues that Floyd’s death was caused by his opioid drug use, other underlying health conditions, and the adrenaline flowing through his body.
But in a bizarre twist, Nelson has also pointed the finger at the crowd of innocent Minnesota bystanders who witnessed Floyd’s death on May 25, suggesting that they had made the responding officers fear for their safety and thus distracted them from focusing on the incident at hand.