Chauvin defence begins its case with prior Floyd confrontation

The defence began its case Tuesday at the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin, seizing on a 2019 confrontation between police and George Floyd in which Floyd suffered dangerously high blood pressure and confessed to heavy use of opioid painkillers.

Chauvin lawyer Eric Nelson has argued Floyd died last May because of his illegal drug use and underlying health problems, not because Chauvin pinned him to the pavement with his knee.

Moments after the prosecution rested its case Tuesday following 11 days of testimony and a mountain of video evidence, the defence put on its first witness, a retired Minneapolis police officer who testified about a May 6, 2019, incident in which Floyd was arrested, a year before his fatal encounter with Chauvin.

Scott Creighton said he drew his gun when Floyd, a passenger in a car, did not comply with orders to show his hands. Nelson played body-camera video that showed Creighton approaching on the passenger side, drawing his gun and pulling Floyd out.

Chauvin’s lawyer twice asked questions aimed at getting the jury thinking about Floyd swallowing drugs, but Creighton said he did not see Floyd take anything.

Another witness who responded to that call, now-retired paramedic Michelle Moseng, testified Floyd told her he had been taking multiple opioids about every 20 minutes. “I asked him why and he said it was because he was addicted,” said Moseng, who described Floyd’s behaviour as “elevated and agitated” before the judge struck that remark from the record. Moseng also said she recommended taking Floyd to the hospital based on his high blood pressure, which she measured at 216 over 160.

On cross-examination, prosecutor Erin Eldridge got Moseng to testify that Floyd’s respiratory output, pulse, heart rate, EKG and heart rhythms were normal. Eldridge said Floyd was taken to the hospital and released two hours later.

Eldridge also made a point of noting officers gave Floyd contradictory commands, with Creighton telling him to put his hands on the dashboard and another officer telling him to put his hands on his head. She noted another officer threatened to use a stun gun on him, while Floyd asked not to be shot or beaten up.