DEREK Chauvin, held for the murder of George Floyd, wants all charges against him dropped. Here is more on the case against Chauvin and what happened to Floyd. What are Chauvin’s lawyers claiming? Chauvin’s lawyers say there is not probable cause to support charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Attorneys argue that […]
DEREK Chauvin, held for the murder of George Floyd, wants all charges against him dropped.
Here is more on the case against Chauvin and what happened to Floyd.
Chauvin’s lawyers say there is not probable cause to support charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Attorneys argue that Floyd’s alleged drug use, not the improper use of force by Chauvin, was to blame for his death.
“Put simply, Mr. Floyd could not breathe because he had ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl and, possibly, a speedball,” Chauvin’s attorney said in court documents.
“Combined with sickle cell trait, his pre-existing heart conditions, Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl and methamphetamine most likely killed him.”
The defense attorneys insist that without knowledge of Floyd’s alleged drug use or symptoms of overdose, Chauvin “was unaware of the potential dangerous of using MRT (Maximal Restraint Technique).”
Floyd died on Memorial Day in Minneapolis after prosecutors say Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, in an incident that was captured on video and has since sparked protests around the world.
Police had responded to a call from a grocery store that claimed Floyd had used a forged check.
After Floyd allegedly resisted arrest, officers dragged him from his car and pinned him to the ground.
It was then that officer Chauvin held Floyd down with his knee on his neck and his other knee in the middle of his back.
The fatal encounter was caught on video by onlookers, and Floyd’s death has sparked Black Lives Matter protests and unrest around the country.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Floyd’s death.
The former police officer could spend decades behind bars if he is convicted.
Prosecutors have filed a notice that they will be asking for an “upward sentencing departure” in the cases of the four officers charged with Floyd’s death.
“Mr. Floyd was treated with particular cruelty,” prosecutors wrote.
“Despite Mr. Floyd’s pleas that he could not breathe and was going to die, as well as the pleas of eyewitnesses to get off Mr. Floyd and help him, Defendant and his codefendants continued to restrain Mr. Floyd.”
The city of Minneapolis identified the other three officers as Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng.
All four officers have been fired from the department.
The wife of the white cop charged with murder in the death of unarmed black American George Floyd has filed for divorce.
Kellie Chauvin says she is “devastated by Mr Floyd’s death and her utmost sympathy lies with his family and with his loved ones.”
