Witness testimony has resumed in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who is charged in the death of George Floyd.
Earlier today, jurors heard testimony from Floyd’s girlfriend and a Minneapolis paramedic who provided medical aid to Floyd.
If you’re just reading in, here’s what’s happened today in court:
Courteney Ross, Floyd’s girlfriend, testified she has been in a relationship with him since August 2017 and they were together until his death. Ross, who was the 13th witness for the prosecution, provided details about Floyd and their relationship. She described Floyd as “a momma’s boy,” saying he was devastated and “broken” when his mother died. Ross said he tested positive for Covid-19 in “late March” and that he had been quarantining. She added that his roommates also had Covid-19.
Ross testified that they both struggled with opioid addiction. Prosecutors were the first to ask about opioid use during the trial to get ahead of some of the defense team’s arguments. Defense attorneys plan to make the case that Floyd died of unrelated medical issues and drug use, and they have argued Chauvin was following proper police protocol.
Paramedic Seth Zachary Bravinder, who provided medical assistance to George Floyd, told the court that when he arrived at the scene, he could tell from a distance that Floyd wasn’t breathing. He also said he stopped the ambulance en route to the hospital so he could assist his partner in giving Floyd aid after he “flatlined” — a term he used to describe when “your heart isn’t really doing anything at that moment.”
Witness to invoke the Fifth Amendment: The man who was sitting in a car with George Floyd when police approached and removed them from the vehicle says he will not testify in the trial. Morries Hall will invoke the Fifth Amendment and not testify if he is called to the stand, according to a filing submitted by his public defender Adrienne Cousins.
