Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin is accused of killing George Floyd last May by pinning the handcuffed Black man to the pavement for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
The death of George Floyd, an African American, sparked a worldwide outcry against systemic racial discriminationImage: Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Wire/picture-alliance
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Multiple witnesses testified in the George Floyd murder trial on Tuesday, where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stands accused of killing the handcuffed Black man by refusing to take his knee off his neck.
Darnella Frazier, who shot the viral cellphone video of the incident that sparked worldwide protests against racial discrimination and police brutality, testified that the police officer remained unmoved as bystanders begged him to remove his knee but he just gave them a "cold", "heartless" stare.
"He didn't care. It seemed as if he didn't care what we were saying," said the tearful 18-year-old, who was one of the many witnesses testifying on Tuesday.
Another bystander — firefighter Genevieve Hansen — also took the witness stand in tears as she recalled how she offered to give medical assistance but was refused. Video footage recorded by another bystander, Alyssa Funari, 18, showed the Minneapolis firefighter walking up to former police officer Tou Thao to offer help, before being sent back to the sidewalk.
"There was a man being killed," said Hansen, who said she had emergency medical technician training. "I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities. And this human was denied that right."
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Defense cites heightened pressure
Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson argued that the former police officer did what he was trained to do. The defense argued that Floyd's death was not caused by Chauvin but by a combination of other factors, including illegal drug use, heart disease, high blood pressure and adrenaline.
The defense also attempted to show that the officers were in a tense situation as onlookers became more and more agitated.
However, when the prosecutor asked Frazier if she saw violence on the scene, she replied: "Yes, from the cops. From Chauvin, and from officer Thao."
Remembering George Floyd through street art
George Floyd's murder by police officer Derek Chauvin inspired street artists around the world to express their support with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Image: Octavio Jones/REUTERS
A global icon
Former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd. The Black man's brutal death in May 2020 had sparked a worldwide movement of solidarity that was expressed through protests and art. This mural features George Floyd's face and the words, "I can breathe now," a reference to his last words as Chauvin was kneeling on his neck: "I can't breathe."
Image: Octavio Jones/REUTERS
Many faces, one message
Black Lives Matter: In Minneapolis, George Floyd's murder was followed by violent protests against police brutality toward African Americans. On this wall on Hennepin Avenue, the city commemorates not only George Floyd, but also African Americans Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice and Philando Castile, who were also killed by police officers.
Image: Mark Hertzberg/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
Street art in Gaza
George Floyd became a global figure, depicted in street art around the world. Here in Gaza City, a woman walks past a large mural linking Floyd to the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin, the police officer who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck, now faces
up to 40 years in jail after being found guilty on all murder charges.
Street art can also be used to mark a memorial site, as seen here in front of this painting of George Floyd, which was also set up in Minnesota in January 2021. Mourners left flowers and political messages in front of his portrait at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue South, where Floyd died.
Image: Tim Evans/NurPhoto/picture alliance
Black Lives Matter in NYC
A temporary Black Lives Matter mural in Manhattan, New York City, displays names of Black people who have been victims of police violence. The Black Lives Matter protests raged around the country in the summer of 2020, gathering hundreds of thousands of demonstrators.
Image: picture alliance
An inauguration mural
In the US capital, Washington, multiple murals commemorate the Black Lives Matter movement and show the faces of those who have died in connection with police brutality. The use of the patriotic colors, red, white and blue, is particularly striking here.
Image: picture alliance
Remembering the victim
This work of street art featuring George Floyd's face is located in Venezuela, in the town of Valencia. It was commissioned by the city's mayor. The microphone is a reminder that Floyd had also made a name for himself as a rapper.
Image: Juan Carlos Hernandez/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
'I can't breathe'
George Floyd died after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck on May 25, 2020. Throughout the 8-minute, 46-second incident, Floyd stated several times that he could not breathe. His last words were painted onto the artwork in Berlin's Mauerpark.
Image: Alexander Borais/Zoonar/picture alliance
A call for solidarity
In Cologne, Germany's fourth largest city, you can find this painting honoring the political struggle of the Black Lives Matter movement. In many major German cities in the summer of 2020, people took to the streets in solidarity with the BLM movement.
Image: Christoph Hardt/Geisler-Fotopress/picture alliance
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What is the trial about?
Chauvin, 45, is facing charges of murder and manslaughter after pinning Floyd to the pavement for what prosecutors said was 9 minutes and 29 seconds. The Black man was arrested after being accused of attempting to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby convenience store.
His death sparked a worldwide outcry against systemic racial discrimination last year.
Thao and two other former police officers involved in the arrest — Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng — will be tried separately later this year.
