Officer Steve Dykstra says even before the George Floyd incident, he saw warning signs, including a change in the pursuit policy, on who police could chase, and when.
“It’s just the reality of the solution, you know. When you make big, overarching statements that we’re going to defund or abolish and dismantle the police department and get rid of all the officers, there’s an impact to that,” Mayor Jacob Frey said.
So many things would have changed last year if a well-trained and honorable police officer had been on scene to arrest George Floyd.
The three-count indictment names Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao. Specifically, Chauvin, Thao and Kueng are charged with violating Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizure and excessive force. All four officers are charged for their failure to provide Floyd with medical care.
Fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted of second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter.
Kaia Hirt chained herself to a metal fence outside the Hennepin County Government Center on Monday evening in a protest pushing for police reform as the Derek Chauvin murder trial proceeded inside.
On other motions Friday, Judge Peter Cahill ruled that only portions of the events surrounding Floyd's drug arrest in Minneapolis in May 2019 are admissible in this trial, namely any evidence or testimony that directly relates to his medical condition.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill removed the two who said under his questioning they had heard about a federal lawsuit settlement reached last week and admitted it affected their ability to presume Chauvin is innocent during the course of the trial.
Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s defense attorney, questioned the “suspicious timing” of the settlement and argued it was “highly prejudicial” against his client. He called on Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter A. Cahill to “at least” call back the jurors already seated in the case to question them to see if they had read the news of the settlement and if they could continue to be impartial in the case.
“I think it’s a potential disaster for (former officer Derek) Chauvin,” said Mary Moriarty, former chief Hennepin County public defender. She said if she were Chauvin’s attorney, she would request a mistrial.