The first potential juror in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer charged with George Floyd‘s death, was excused on Tuesday after she called Chauvin’s actions “unjust” and “not fair.”
The juror, a mother of three from Mexico, said she saw video footage of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck last summer, and couldn’t understand why the officer didn’t get up when Floyd said he couldn’t breathe.
“That’s not fair because we are humans, you know?” she said during the selection process.
Defense attorney Eric Nelson also noted that the woman said on her jury questionnaire that she wanted to be a part of the trial “to give my opinion of the unjust death of George Floyd.”
The jury selection for Chauvin’s trial began on Tuesday, and jurors are supposed to present unbiased opinions in order to ensure that evidence will be viewed fairly. In response to the juror’s statements, Nelson dismissed her by using one of his 15 peremptory challenges.
For more reporting from Newsweek’s Khaleda Rahman, see below:
Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25 last year after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes while he cried “I can’t breathe” multiple times. Chauvin and other officers were arresting Floyd for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store.
Widely circulated cellphone footage of the encounter sparked protests against police brutality and racial injustice in Minneapolis that quickly spread across the U.S. and beyond.
Floyd’s killing became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement, fueling a summer of protests and sparking a national reckoning on race and policing.
Chauvin, 44, and three other officers involved in Floyd’s death were fired, and later arrested.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Earlier this year, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled that Chauvin will be tried alone due to capacity issues.
The other three former officers involved in Floyd’s death — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Keung and Tou Thao — have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Their trial is scheduled to start at the end of August.
But a possible delay in Chauvin’s trial could arise after the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Friday said Cahill should reconsider reinstating a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin.
A juror was dismissed in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged in the death of George Floyd, after saying the death was “unjust.” Here, demonstrators hold a vigil in honor of George Floyd on March 8, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Megan Varner/Getty Images
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below:
Hundreds of people gathered outside the courthouse as proceedings began Monday, many carrying signs that read, “Justice for George Floyd” and “Convict Killer Cops.” On Tuesday, there was little evident protest activity.
The unintentional second-degree murder charge requires prosecutors to prove that Chauvin’s conduct was a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death, and that Chauvin was committing felony assault at the time. The third-degree murder charge would require them to prove that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death through a dangerous act without regard for human life.
Manslaughter requires proof that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death.
