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Prosecutors Move to Show Video of Derek Chauvin Jamming Knee Into Teen’s Back in 2017 Arrest

The former police officer’s murder trial is set to begin on March 8.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin—whose murder trial in the case of George Floyd will begin on March 8—reportedly wedged his knee into the back of a 14-year-old while ignoring his cries that he couldn’t breathe in a 2017 arrest, according to the Star Tribune. Prosecutors have moved to show jurors bodycam footage of that arrest in Chauvin’s upcoming trial, which is slated to begin on March 8. “When faced with a suspect who does not immediately comply with his demands, Chauvin intentionally uses a level of unreasonable force to accomplish subdual and restraint,” assistant state Attorney General Matthew Frank said in a memorandum filed in court this week. Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, defended the 2017 encounter, saying that Chauvin used appropriate force in accordance with the department's previous policies on managing uncooperative suspects.