Tearful witnesses testify in George Floyd trial

Multiple witnesses testified in the George Floyd murder trial on Tuesday, where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stands accused of killing the handcuffed Black man by refusing to take his knee off his neck.

Darnella Frazier, who shot the viral cellphone video of the incident that sparked worldwide protests against racial discrimination and police brutality, testified that the police officer remained unmoved as bystanders begged him to remove his knee but he just gave them a "cold", "heartless" stare.

"He didn't care. It seemed as if he didn't care what we were saying," said the tearful 18-year-old, who was one of the many witnesses testifying on Tuesday.

The trial is expected to last four weeks. 

Another bystander — firefighter Genevieve Hansen — also took the witness stand in tears as she recalled how she offered to give medical assistance but was refused. Video footage recorded by another bystander, Alyssa Funari, 18, showed the Minneapolis firefighter walking up to former police officer Tou Thao to offer help, before being sent back to the sidewalk.

"There was a man being killed," said Hansen, who said she had emergency medical technician training. "I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities. And this human was denied that right."

Defense cites heightened pressure

Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson argued that the former police officer did what he was trained to do. The defense argued that Floyd's death was not caused by Chauvin but by a combination of other factors, including illegal drug use, heart disease, high blood pressure and adrenaline.

The defense also attempted to show that the officers were in a tense situation as onlookers became more and more agitated.

However, when the prosecutor asked Frazier if she saw violence on the scene, she replied: "Yes, from the cops. From Chauvin, and from officer Thao."

What is the trial about?

Chauvin, 45, is facing charges of murder and manslaughter after pinning Floyd to the pavement for what prosecutors said was 9 minutes and 29 seconds. The Black man was arrested after being accused of attempting to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby convenience store.

His death sparked a worldwide outcry against systemic racial discrimination last year.

Thao and two other former police officers involved in the arrest — Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng — will be tried separately later this year.

see/nm (AP, AFP, Reuters)