Ex-policeman Derek Chauvin has been charged with the “second degree murder” of George Floyd. – AP / SIPA
He won’t say a word. Former police officer Derek Chauvin said Thursday he was refusing to testify at his trial where he is on trial for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year.
“I invoke today my right to the Fifth Amendment,” he said, referring to the right of any accused in the United States not to give evidence that could incriminate him. Derek Chauvin, 45, is accused of killing George Floyd on May 25, 2020 by keeping a knee on the African-American 40-year-old’s neck for more than nine minutes, a drama that sparked historic anti-racism in the United States.
Police officer pleads not guilty
He pleads not guilty and his lawyer assures that George Floyd, suspected of having passed a false 20 dollar bill, died of an overdose combined with heart problems while the police tried to subdue him.
The proceedings are in their third week and the defense must finish hearing its witnesses on Thursday. The jury is expected to withdraw to deliberate after hearing the requisitions and pleadings on Monday. The verdict of the jurors in this extraordinary trial is not expected before the end of the month.