Derek Chauvin is on trial for George Floyd's death

By Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Melissa Mahtani and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 0300 GMT (1100 HKT) April 6, 2021
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6:07 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Here's what happened today in the Derek Chauvin trial

From CNN's Eric Levenson and Aaron Cooper

Defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and defendant former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, right, listen on April 5 in the trial of Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis.
Defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and defendant former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, right, listen on April 5 in the trial of Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis. Court TV/Pool/AP

The trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin continued today with testimony from three witnesses, including Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.

Here's what they said today in court:

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo thoroughly rejected Chauvin's actions during the arrest of George Floyd last May as contrary to department policy. "Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting, and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped," Arradondo testified.

The chief said Chauvin's kneeling on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds is not a trained tactic and was a violation of the policies around de-escalation, objectively reasonable use of force and requirement to render aid. In his testimony, Arradondo described the department's training programs and the core value of treating everyone with "dignity and respect." He said that officers are required to be familiar with policies, including de-escalation and use of force.

Last year, Arradondo fired Chauvin and three other officers involved in Floyd's death, which he said was "murder."

Dr. Bradford Wankhede Langenfeld, an emergency medicine physician at Hennepin County Medical Center, said he treated Floyd for about 30 minutes on May 25, 2020, as hospital staff unsuccessfully tried to restart his heart. Based on what paramedics reported and on Floyd's medical condition, Langenfeld said the "more likely possibility" of Floyd's cardiac arrest was hypoxia, or lack of oxygen. On cross-examination, Langenfeld said that hypoxia can be caused by many things, including drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine or a combination of both.

The doctor's testimony goes to the prosecution's argument that Chauvin's kneeling was a substantial cause of Floyd's death. Chauvin's attorney, however, has argued that Floyd died due to his drug use and other health issues.

Minneapolis Police Inspector Katie Blackwell, who recently served as commander of the department's training division, said officers are trained in their medical unit about the dangers of positional asphyxia and the need to get someone on their side or sit up to recover. Officers are also taught to provide medical help to suspects.  

Looking at a photo of Chauvin on Floyd’s neck, Blackwell testified that it was not in line with department training. They train using a one-arm or two-arm neck restraint. “I don’t know what kind of improvised position that is,” she said. “It’s not what we train.” 

6:06 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Court has adjourned for the day

Court is adjourned until tomorrow morning when testimony is expected to resume in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin.

Testimony wrapped with Minneapolis Police Inspector Katie Blackwell who said being handcuffed and faced down could hinder a person's ability to breathe.

Blackwell said officers are supposed "to put them on the side recovery position." When asked how soon should officers do that when they have a person under control, she said "as soon as possible."

Blackwell said officers were taught about the potential dangers of positional asphyxia during the police academy at the Minneapolis Police Department.

Looking at a photo of Chauvin on George Floyd’s neck, Blackwell testified that it was not in line with department training.

6:05 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Former commander testifies that Chauvin didn't follow his training

From CNN’s Aaron Cooper in Minneapolis

Inspector Katie Blackwell, who recently served as the commander of the Minneapolis Police Department’s field training division, testified Monday that she had at one point selected Derek Chauvin as a field training officer.  

Blackwell testified Chauvin was regularly instructed in defensive tactics and the proper use of force. Since he trained other officers in the field, Chauvin had additional training himself. He received training as it was given to new recruits in the academy in defensive training and patrol ops.  

In 2016, Chauvin had a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training and a seven-hour refresher course in 2018, including de-escalation training.

Blackwell testified officers are also trained in their medical unit about the dangers of positional asphyxia and the need to get someone on their side or sit up to recover. Officers are also taught to provide medical help to suspects.  

Looking at a photo of Chauvin on George Floyd’s neck, Blackwell testified that it was not in line with department training.

They train using a one-arm or two-arm neck restraint. 

“I don’t know what kind of improvised position that is,” she said. “It’s not what we train.” 

5:16 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Another Minneapolis police officer is now testifying

Pool
Pool

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo just wrapped up his testimony at the trial of Derek Chauvin.

The next witness up is Minneapolis Police Inspector Katie Blackwell who recently served as commander of the department's training division.

Blackwell testified that she and Chauvin worked for the police department for nearly 20 years.

She went on to say that she selected him to be a field training officer.

4:50 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Testimony resumes in the Chauvin trial 

The court has resumed after a 20-minute afternoon break.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson is continuing his cross-examination of Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.

3:42 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

The defense is cross-examining the Minneapolis police chief who fired Derek Chauvin 

Pool
Pool

Defense attorney Eric Nelson is questioning Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo about the department's use of force policy.

Arradondo told the prosecuting attorney he believes former officer Derek Chauvin violated the department's neck restraint policy and did not follow the department's policy on de-escalation.

3:42 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Chauvin "absolutely" violated the department's neck restraint policy, police chief says

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said former officer Derek Chauvin "absolutely" violated the department's neck restraint policy.

"The conscious neck restraint by policy mentions light to moderate pressure. When I look at exhibit 17 and when I look at the facial expression of Mr. Floyd, that does not appear in any way, shape or form that that is light to moderate pressure," Arradondo said.

"I absolutely agree that violates our policy," he said.

Asked by the prosecuting attorney when he believes the restraints should have stopped, Arradondo said:

"Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting. And certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped. There is an initial reasonableness in trying to just get him under control in the first few seconds. But once there was no longer any resistance, and clearly when Mr. Floyd was no longer responsive, and even motionless, to continue to apply that level of force to a person proned-out, handcuffed behind their back. That, in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy. It is not a part of our training. And it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values."

3:34 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

Police chief: "I absolutely don't agree" that Chauvin followed de-escalation policy

Pool
Pool

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified that he watched multiple videos on the same day that the George Floyd incident occurred.

He said he first watched surveillance footage from the scene after learning about the incident, but at around midnight, a community member contacted him and asked him "have you seen the video of your officer choking and killing that man at 38th and Chicago?" 

The police chief said that as soon as he heard that, he knew that they were talking about video footage that was different from the surveillance video he had viewed earlier.

"And eventually within minutes after that, I saw for the first time what is now known as the bystander video," Arradondo said.

"I was actually able to see Mr. Floyd. I was actually able to hear what was occurring. And I was also able to get a better understanding of the length of time, the duration of the call, the incident," he added.

Arradondo was shown in court a still image of ex-cop Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck. He was asked if based upon his review of the incident and video, if Chauvin followed the department's policy on de-escalation. "I absolutely don't agree with that," Arradondo responded. 

"That action is not de-escalation. And when we talk about the framework of our sanctity of life and when we talk about the principles and values we have, that action goes contrary to what we're taught," he said.

3:40 p.m. ET, April 5, 2021

How Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said he found out about the Floyd incident

Pool
Pool

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo described today in court how he found out about the May 25, 2020 incident involving George Floyd and four of his officers.

Arradondo said he was at home around 9 p.m. local time when he received a call from a deputy chief that Minneapolis officers "had responded to 38th and Chicago. And while attempting to take someone into custody, that which I learned now to be Mr. Floyd, they believed he would not make it or survive."

The chief then decided to call Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which conducts the police department's critical incidents.

"I deemed that this would be a critical incident and it has been our protocol to alert them, and they would conduct that investigation. So, I made that call to the BCA to have them start to conduct this critical incident," Arradondo said.

He went on to call Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to brief him on the incident and then headed to City Hall.

While Arradondo was at City Hall, he reviewed video from a city-owned camera after he learned that Floyd had died. The video, he said, had no audio, it was from a distance and only showed the backside of the officers.

At some point, he said he later learned from a community member of a bystander video that showed something different.

"Probably close to midnight a community member had contacted me and said, chief, almost verbatim, but said, chief, have you seen the video of your officer choking and killing that man at 38th and Chicago? And so once I heard that statement, I just knew it wasn't the same milestone camera video that I had saw. And eventually within minutes after that, I saw for the first time what is now known as the bystander video," Arradondo said.

Watch here: