Police: Neck pressure not part of training

Crisis intervention coordinator says focus is on ‘respect and trust’

MINNEAPOLIS — Two Minneapolis police officers with experience in crisis intervention and use of force spoke about proper procedures Tuesday in the seventh day of testimony in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial, with one of them saying the now-fired officer’s knee on George Floyd’s neck was not part of department training.

Tuesday’s proceedings wrapped up with a Los Angeles police sergeant and use-of-force expert retained by the prosecution saying that he saw on officer body camera video that Floyd stopped resisting arrest on May 25, which should have led Chauvin and the other officers to ease up on their restraint.

“Initially, when Mr. Floyd was being placed in the back seat of the vehicle, the officers were justified in trying to have him comply and sit in the back seat of the vehicle,” Sgt. Jody Stiger said. “However, once he was placed in the prone position on the ground, he slowly ceased his resistance and the officers — or ex-officers, I should say — should have slowed down or stopped their force.”

At the day’s start, Sgt. Ker Yang, who serves as the Minneapolis Police Department’s crisis intervention training coordinator, and Lt. Johnny Mercil, who oversees the MPD’s use-of-force training, became the seventh and eighth current or former Minneapolis police officers to testify. That included Chief Medaria Arradondo.

Yang testified that, in his job, he coordinates with civilian mental health professionals to train officers who encounter people in crisis situations, such as mental health issues. Although Yang was never directly asked about Chauvin’s actions, he discussed the best practices in dealing with people in crisis, or a situation “beyond a person’s coping mechanism. What it is beyond their control, they don’t know what to do.” That could also include people under the influence of drugs and alcohol or suffering from anxiety.

Yang said he trains officers to “bring them back down.”

“When it is safe and feasible, we … de-escalate,” Yang said, adding that the model focuses on voice, neutrality, respect and trust.

JIM MONE/ASSOCIATED PRESS Philonise Floyd, left, the brother of George Floyd, and other family members take part in a prayer vigil led by the Rev. Al Sharpton outside the Hennepin County Government Center on Tuesday.