Special Agent Testifies to Floyd Said, “I Don’t Do Drugs”: Live Updates: Trial for the Murder of George Floyd: NPR

Senior Special Agent James Ryerson of the Minnesota Criminal Arrests Office testifies in the trial of the murder of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, in the death of George Floyd in May.

The Anti-Corruption Act routinely investigates incidents of police use of force in Minnesota. Chauvin faces charges of second- and third-degree intentional homicide as well as manslaughter. Video footage from the scene showed Chauven pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck area for more than nine minutes.

While interrogating Chauvin’s defense attorney, Eric Nelson, Rerson testified at first that an officer’s camera video appeared to capture Floyd saying, “I ate a lot of drugs,” although it was difficult to declare in the midst of the chaos of the moment, reporter John Collins of Radio Minnesota General Reports.

After playing the clip the first time, Nelson asked, “Have you ever heard Mr. Floyd say, ‘I’ve eaten so much drugs? ”

Ryerson replied, “No.”

Nelson played the clip a second time, and asked, “Does Mister Floyd seem to say, ‘I’ve eaten a lot of drugs? ”

This time Rerson said, “Yes, it happened.”

But later, under additional questioning by the prosecution, the client backed down, saying he had now heard something different.

After hearing a longer recording than the defense played, Rerson said what Floyd said was, in fact,, “I don’t do drugs.”

This reversal was a blow to the defense that was building the argument that Floyd, who had a history of drug abuse, died not from Chauvin’s knee on his neck, but from drug complications in his system or underlying medical conditions.

Prosecutors played too side by side From another officer’s body camera and a passerby video taken by Darnella Fraser, indicating that Floyd appears to stop moving at 20:24:58. Upon showing a still photo taken minutes later – at 20:26:40 – Rerson confirmed that Chauvin could be seen carrying his weight on Floyd. He then added that the defendant’s equipment, including his jacket and belt, added 30-40 pounds extra.

Prosecutors also provided photos of what was alleged to be a fake $ 20 banknote that George Floyd used in Cup Foods. Ryerson said he recovered it in a Manila envelope from the responding police officers’ car.