Prosecutors question officer in Floyd killing about training
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd's killing returned to the witness stand Thursday as a prosecutor peppered him with questions about his training, including on officers' duty to provide medical care for people in custody.
J. Alexander Kueng is one of three former officers charged in federal court with violating Floyd's constitutional rights when Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Black man was handcuffed, facedown on the street and pleading for air before going silent. Kueng knelt on Floyd's back, Thomas Lane held his legs and Tou Thao kept bystanders back.
Prosecutor Manda Sertich showed Kueng material from an emergency medical responder course he took that said someone might not be breathing adequately even though they're talking, and lists thing to check for.
She pointed out that Floyd stopped talking after about 4 ½ minutes and asked if it was a "red flag."
"It is something to reassess, yes ma'am," replied Kueng, who later agreed that he was trained to roll someone on their side to help them breathe when it was safe to do so.
All three officers are accused of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care. Prosecutors have argued that the officers violated their training by not rolling Floyd onto his side or giving him CPR.
Kueng and Thao are also accused of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin in the May 25, 2020, killing that triggered protests worldwide and a reexamination of racism and policing.
Defense attorneys contend the Minneapolis Police Department provided inadequate training and taught cadets to obey superiors. They have also said that Chauvin, who was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges last year, called the shots that day.
Kueng testified Wednesday that he deferred to Chauvin because he was his senior officer and that's what he had been trained to do. Kueng and Lane were both rookies, just a few days off of probationary status.
Kueng said he was concerned about their inability to stop Floyd from thrashing around as they tried to arrest him after police responded to a 911 call about Floyd using a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store. He said that when Lane suggested changing the restraint, Chauvin disagreed.
"He was my senior officer and I trusted his advice," Kueng said.
Kueng recalled checking Floyd's wrist for a pulse after Floyd was facedown on the street, and said he told Chauvin he couldn't find one. He said it was up to Chauvin to check Floyd's neck for a more accurate pulse and to make decisions on the "difficult balance between scene safety and medical care."