Derek Chauvin Trial – Day 3 (March 31, 2021) – 5 Witnesses

Witnesses:

1. Genevieve Hanson (continued from yesterday)

2. Christopher Martin, 19
The Cup Foods employee who was working the night of May 25, 2020. He sold Floyd cigarettes and identified the $20 bill Floyd used to pay for them as counterfeit.
He seemed to be a very smart guy and was very honest and straightforward for the entirety of his testimony. He was obviously the most intelligent of the witnesses at that point.

2:29:35
Prosecution: “Did you continue working at Cup Foods as long as you could?”
Christopher Martin: “No”
Prosecution: “Why not?”
Christopher Martin: “I didn’t feel safe”

The attorney for the prosecution didn’t like that answer, and said “I have no further questions, your honor.”

2:51:50 – Defense cross-examination

2:53:49 – Prosecution redirect

Prosecution: “When you did interact with Mr. Floyd in the store, what was his demeanor like?”
Christopher Martin: “He seemed very friendly, approachable, he was talkative, he seemed to just be having an average memorial day, just livin his life… but he did seem high.”

The attorney for the prosecution didn’t like that answer.

3. Christopher Belfrie
Was parked in a vehicle right behind George Floyd’s SUV outside Cup Foods. He recorded a cell phone video of the initial interaction with police, including Officer Thomas Lane pulling Floyd out of the vehicle.

4. Charles McMillian, another eyewitness outside Cup Foods. Said he was driving by and pulled over to see what was going on, because he was “being nosy” (sounds like he’s telling the truth).

He could be heard in the video telling Floyd “you can’t win” with police, to “make the situation easier.”

4:52:07 – Chauvin walks into view

4:53:50 – He says he did know Chauvin when he saw him. When asked how, he explained:
“5 days prior to this happening I pulled up on a squad car somewhere in south Minneapolis, and I seen Mr. Chauvin and I told him like I tell all officers, at the end of the day, you go home to your family safe, and let the next person go home to they family safe.”

He was overcome with emotion watching the body camera footage of the struggle between George Floyd and police, and Judge Cahill ordered a 10 minute break.

5:14:10 He said “when he kept sayin I can’t breathe… and he said momma… they killin me… he started saying my body is shutting down”

5:26:10 Security camera footage, with audio, along with Chauvin body cam footage is played, showing McMillian had words with Chauvin, including Chauvin saying “I know you.”

5:30:00 – Defense – No questions

5. Lt. James Rugel, the first Minneapolis Police Department staff member to take the stand. “Manages the police business technology unit.” He has oversight of MPD technology, including records management, surveillance cameras, and the body camera program.

He explains that the city of Minneapolis has around 250 cameras in “high-traffic locations” which are always recording.
They can be accessed live with full movement control (pan/tilt/zoom).
One of them is at the Speedway across the street from Cup Foods at 38th and Chicago.
The beginning of that video is shown at 6:28:00 and shows officers bring George Floyd into view around 6:29:22.

He explains the MPD body camera technology and policies. Body cams are always recording video, but only record sound once activated manually.

Body Cams:

6:39:30 – Prosecution introduces body cam footage from all officers (Chauvin, Kueng, Lane, Thao).

6:39:59 – Officer Lane body cam – showing the officers’ first contact with George Floyd and removing him from the car, etc.

6:56:20 – Officer Lane: “I found a weed pipe on him but there may be something else with it, it might be like PCP or something… is that like the shaking of the eyes right is PCP, where their eyes like shake back and forth really fast?”

6:57:55 – Officer Lane: “roll him on his side?”
[inaudible response from someone else]
Officer Lane: “ok… I just worry about the ventilary and whatever”
[inaudible response from someone else]
…
6:59:00 “yea i think he just passed out”

Officer Lane: “roll him on his side?” (again)

7:01:40 – Officer Lane: “he’s not responsive right now so you guys might want to uh, yea…” (points paramedic to Floyd)
Paramedic is seen checking his pulse, doesn’t appear to say anything, gets gurney, officers keep quiet, all load George Floyd in ambulance.

7:03:45 – Officer Kueng body cam

7:07:20 – George Floyd (still sitting in driver’s seat) says “please man, I didn’t know man, I didn’t know”

7:20:10 – Officer Lane: “roll him on his side?”
Someone: “nope, just… he’s staying put the way ya got him.”
Officer Lane: “ok… I just worry about the ventilary and whatever”
Someone: inaudible… (maybe “nah hes gotta breathe in order to talk” or “thats why the ambulance is coming” ?)
Officer Lane: “ok”

7:22:20 – Checks pulse, “i can’t find one”

7:25:10 – Officer Thau body cam

7:29:20 – Thau goes to get the restraints to hogtie Floyd
“ems is on their way”
“so do you want to hogtie him at this point then?”
“just hold him until EMS gets here”
“ok”

7:35:40 – Officer Chauvin body cam (which fell off onto the street)

Full video: