Floyd Wasn't Resisting When Chauvin Knelt on His Neck: Minneapolis Police Chief
Published Date: 4/5/2021
Source: Bloomberg Quicktake: Now
The Minneapolis police chief testified Monday that now-fired Officer Derek Chauvin violated departmental policy in pinning his knee on George Floyd's neck and keeping him down after Floyd had stopped resisting and was in distress. Continuing to kneel on Floyd's neck once he was handcuffed behind his back and lying on his stomach was "in no way, shape or form" part of department policy or training, "and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values," Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said on Day Six of Chauvin's murder trial. Arradondo, the city's first Black chief, fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Floyd's death last May, and in June called it "murder." When prosecutors asked if Arradondo thought Floyd was actively resisting at that time, he said no: "As I saw that video, I didn't even know if Mr. Floyd was alive at that time." While police have long been accused of closing ranks to protect fellow members of the force who have been accused of wrongdoing — the "blue wall of silence," as it's known — some of the most experienced members of the Minneapolis department have taken the stand to openly condemn Chauvin's treatment of Floyd. Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death May 25. The white officer is accused of pressing his knee into the 46-year-old man's neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, outside a corner market, where Floyd had been accused of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake