Two paramedics stated in criminal proceedings against American police officer Derek Chauvin that the black American George Floyd had already died when the first ambulance arrived on the scene.
On May 25 last year, Floyd was arrested in the American city of Minneapolis after he allegedly paid for a pack of cigarettes with a counterfeit $ 20 note. During the arrest, Chauvin pressed his knee against the victim’s neck for minutes. Ultimately, Floyd passed out.
Nurse Derk Smith said several officers were still on Floyd when the ambulance arrived. He checked Floyd’s pulse but didn’t feel a pulse. “I didn’t feel one, so I thought he was dead,” said Smith.
His colleague Seth Bravinder confirms that Floyd has stopped responding. “I didn’t see him move or breathe anymore. He was completely limp,” said Bravinder. In the ambulance, an attempt was made to get his heart working again with a heart massage and a defibrillator, but those attempts were unsuccessful. “I took him to the hospital, and when he got there, his heart was still not beating,” said Smith.
George Floyd’s death sparked outrage worldwide. Mass demonstrations against racism and excessive violence took place in many places in and outside the United States.
Derek Chauvin’s lawyer claims that Floyd did not die from the brutal police crackdown but an overdose of fentanyl along with health problems.
Chauvin’s trial will run until the end of April. He can receive a prison sentence of up to 40 years. Three other officers who were on the scene in the fatal incident will be brought to trial in August. They are on trial for complicity in manslaughter.