Many people are expecting the worst. There is a possibility that police officer Derek Chauvin will be found not guilty. Facing options Minneapolis and the U.S. are experiencing a tense suspense over the George Floyd case.
Minneapolis is a typical Midwestern city. It has more than 400,000 inhabitants. After the death of the African-American, it has experienced the roar of indignation. Racial grief turned into protest. It also turned to violence and vandalism. Both the good and the bad were replicated in various metropolises of the Union. Even capitals of major countries around the world were the scene of protests.
The jury is in deliberation on Monday. Although the earthquake is expected in Minneapolis, the epicenter will be in Minnesota. In the U.S. there is a belief that in police cases the verdict is not guilty.
In many United States regions, the National Guard has been deployed. The starting line to take to the streets is an invisible thread that is on the houses doorsteps of . The Agence France-Presse is on the streets for testimonies. It waits writing questions while the jury decides whether Derek Chauvin is a murderer or a legitimate policeman.
Tense suspense for George Floyd case
“The only time we saw a police officer get convicted was a person of color. So, as a person of color, I don’t expect the outcome to be – quote-unquote – in my favor,” Ashley Commodore noted.
“We’re preparing for the worst,” says Janay Clanton. She is a Minneapolis resident. The city this Monday was heavily patrolled by security forces. In addition stores are shielded in anticipation of the verdict.
The entire nation is in tense suspense over the George Floyd case. “Everything will explode,” the 62-year-old woman predicts if white police officer Derek Chauvin is not convicted of murder. In Minnesota, skyscrapers surround the courthouse. Each of these office towers decided to protect itself behind huge wooden slabs, several meters high. The protest is a premonition.
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Around the courthouse there are army vehicles behind concrete blocks. There are gates three meters high. The scene shows the tension of the trial. The prosecutor’s closing argument was devastating. He accused Chauvin of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He also said that he did not perfor CPR and that he clearly committed a premeditated excess.
Conviction is not certain
The determination exhibited by the prosecution seemed sufficient for a conviction. However, the defense in its closing argument carefully instructed the jury on the concept of reasonable doubt. Hence, the nation is in a tense suspense over the George Floyd case.
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher said Monday that George Floyd “asked for help with his very last breath.” He specified that Floyd was not a threat to anyone. He said that George Floyd begged until he could not talk anymore. Schleicher told the jury in a Minneapolis courtroom in the northeastern state of Minnesota that all that was required of him was a little compassion and he showed nothing that day.
“He asked for help with his last breath, but the officer didn’t help,” Schleicher said. “He didn’t follow training. He omitted the department’s use-of-force rules. He did not perform CPR,” he explained.
“George Floyd was not a threat to anyone,” Schleicher added. “He was not trying to hurt anyone.”
Chauvin, a 45-year-old white man, knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. He did so while Floyd lay face down on the ground and handcuffed, according to footage recorded during the arrest.
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