| April 19, 2021 There’s a chance of rain and flurries today, and tonight will get cold — with a low in the 20s. And the early week will look about the same. Cloudy, with rain and light snow. But temps should rise in the middle of the week, with a high near 60 on Thursday. Get the latest from Updraft. The fate of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is now in the hands of the jury. Attorneys spent much of the day making their closing arguments in the murder and manslaughter trial of the ex-officer. Prosecutors painted Chauvin as a cop who disregarded his training, his department’s use of force rules and George Floyd’s suffering as he lay handcuffed and pinned to the street under Chauvin’s knee.Prosecutor Steve Schleicher showed the jury photographs and video of Floyd's final moments. He said Floyd's death was agonizing as he tried to breathe.
"George Floyd begged until he could speak no more and the defendant continued this assault. When he was unable to speak the defendant continued. When he was unable to breath the defendant continued beyond the point that he had a pulse — beyond the point that he had a pulse — the defendant continued this assault," Schleicher said.
Weeks of trial testimony have revolved around a basic question: Who or what is responsible for Floyd’s death? The prosecution put the blame on Chauvin’s actions and his knee on Floyd’s neck. Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued the case is much more complicated than those final moments. "The state has focused your attention on 9 minutes and 29 seconds," Nelson said. "The proper analysis is to take those 9.29 and put it the context of the totality of the circumstances that a reasonable police officer would know."
Given that standard, Nelson argued that Chauvin’s use of force was justified. The ex-Minneapolis police officer faces charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd, who was under arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a corner store in south Minneapolis.
Bystander video of Floyd’s death was seen around the world, sparking multiple months of protest.
In COVID-19 news, more than half of Minnesotans have been vaccinated against the virus. It’s a positive sign, as the state tries to stay ahead of the more contagious variants.
Minnesota’s average positivity rate of new COVID-19 cases is also down, after falling for four days in a row.
There are still concerns though, over hospitalizations and deaths. Nearly 700 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, and the state reported six additional deaths Monday. Subscribe to our Minnesota Today podcast to get the up-to-date Minnesota news twice daily. — John Enger | MPR News | 