Defense: Chauvin called shots at Floyd arrest site

In this courtroom sketch, from left, former Minneapolis police Officer Tou Thou, attorney Robert Paule, attorney Natalie Paule, attorney Tom Punkett, former Minneapolis police Officer J. Alexander Keung, Minneapolis police Officer Thomas Land and attorney Earl Grey appear for opening statements for their trial in the killing of George Floyd in federal court on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. Floyd died May 25, 2020, after Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck as Floyd, who was handcuffed, said he couldn't breathe. (Cedric Hohnstadt via AP)
In this courtroom sketch, from left, former Minneapolis police Officer Tou Thou, attorney Robert Paule, attorney Natalie Paule, attorney Tom Punkett, former Minneapolis police Officer J. Alexander Keung, Minneapolis police Officer Thomas Land and attorney Earl Grey appear for opening statements for their trial in the killing of George Floyd in federal court on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. Floyd died May 25, 2020, after Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck as Floyd, who was handcuffed, said he couldn't breathe. (Cedric Hohnstadt via AP)

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Prosecutors in the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights accused the men Monday of standing by as fellow Officer Derek Chauvin "slowly killed George Floyd right in front of them."

But one defense attorney countered that Chauvin called "all of the shots" as the senior officer at the scene and criticized the Minneapolis Police Department for doing too little to train officers to intervene when a colleague should be stopped.


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Former Officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are broadly charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin pressed him to the ground with his knee on Floyd's neck for 9½ minutes while the 46-year-old Black man was facedown, handcuffed and gasping for air. Kueng knelt on Floyd's back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders from intervening.

Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter last year in state court in the killing.

"These three CPR-trained defendants stood or knelt next to Officer Chauvin as he slowly killed George Floyd right in front of them," prosecutor Samantha Trepel, who works for the Justice Department's civil rights division, told the jury during opening statements. "They chose not to protect George Floyd, the man they had handcuffed and placed in their custody."

Tom Plunkett, Kueng's attorney, highlighted the rookie status of his client and Lane.

"You'll see and hear officer Chauvin call all of the shots," said Plunkett, who also hammered at what he called the Minneapolis Police Department's lack of training, including on intervention against the unreasonable use of force.

Plunkett noted that Chauvin was Kueng's field training officer, and as such had "considerable sway" over his future. He also said that Kueng and Lane were not trained in the department's policy on neck restraint.

He also said that under department policy, Lane actually should have been in charge, because he was the most senior officer in the first car to arrive.

Lane and Kueng were responding to a 911 call accusing Floyd of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Thao and Chauvin responded as backup.

Kueng, Lane and Thao are all charged for failing to provide Floyd with medical care. Thao and Kueng face an additional count for failing to stop Chauvin. Both counts allege the officers' actions resulted in Floyd's death.

"We will ask you to hold these men accountable for choosing to do nothing and watch a man die," Trepel said.

Attorneys for Kueng and Thao noted that prosecutors must prove that the officers knew what they were doing was wrong, but did it anyway.

Trepel said videos will show Thao stood directly next to Chauvin, but instead of intervening, he taunted Floyd for using drugs.

She said Kueng "never once" told Chauvin to get off Floyd, even after Floyd stopped struggling and Kueng could not find a pulse. Instead, she said, Keung remained kneeling on Floyd.

Plunkett said Kueng told Chauvin that he could not detect a pulse -- and told him he did not check the artery in Floyd's neck because Chauvin was in the best position to do that.

Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, said Lane was at Floyd's legs and could not see Chauvin's knee on Floyd's neck.

Lane at one point suggested that they use a restraint called the hobble on Floyd, which would have meant Floyd would have been on his side "and no doubt he'd be alive today," Gray said.

But he said Chauvin said no. Lane also suggested they roll Floyd over, but was rebuffed, Gray said.

Gray also said Lane had called an ambulance because of a cut on Floyd's lip and that Lane later had another officer increase the urgency of the ambulance code.

"Mr. Lane ... was totally concerned and did everything he could possibly do to help George Floyd," Gray said.

Information for this article was contributed by Tammy Webber of The Associated Press.

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