An attorney for the family of George Floyd says the trial of Floyd’s accused killer is a referendum on the United States.
Benjamin Crump spoke in Minneapolis before the trial of ex-cop Derek Chauvin got underway and said it will show how far America has made it on the journey toward equality. He also said it’ll prove how far along the nation is when it comes to achieving justice for everybody. Crump added the trial will show whether America truly lives up to one of its founding documents, the Declaration of Independence.
Crump says Floyd was tortured to death and asserted this case isn’t a hard one.
As the trial got underway, the jury in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd is watching the graphic video of Floyd’s death. Derek Chauvin is charged with murder after kneeling on Floyd’s neck during an arrest last May.
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said in his opening statement that Chauvin betrayed his badge. The video graphically shows Floyd’s death and his cries for help. Floyd’s death sparked a series of protests across the country.
The defense is trying to make their case in the trial of the white former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd. Defense Attorney Eric Nelson told the jury the trial does not come down to the video of Floyd’s death.
Defense Attorney Eric Nelson cautions the jury about jumping to conclusions.
On the national level, The White House is keeping a close eye on the George Floyd trial in Minneapolis. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the case “opened up a wound” about racial inequality and injustice in the U.S.
