The murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin continued for a brief, fifth day Friday with testimony from two officers from the Minneapolis Police Department.
In notable testimony, Lt. Richard Zimmerman spoke about how the department trains its officers when it comes to applying use of force.
The actions officers can take, he said, range from using verbal commands to applying handcuffs to using deadly force.
"Have you ever -- in all the years you have been working for the Minneapolis Police Department -- been trained to kneel on the neck of someone who is handcuffed behind their back in the prone position?" the prosecution asked Zimmerman, who served in Minneapolis law enforcement since 1985.
"No, I haven’t" he responded, adding that such an action would constitute deadly force, the top tier, "because of the fact that if your knee is on a person’s neck, that can kill him."
FAST FACTS
- Friday is the fifth day of trial proceedings in the case involving Chauvin.
- Chauvin, 45, is charged with second and third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
Chauvin, 45, is charged with second and third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
Zimmerman, when later asked by the prosecution about his take on the use of force seen being applied against Floyd in bodycam footage, described it as "totally unnecessary" and "uncalled for".
Floyd, a Black man, died after Chauvin appeared on video pressing his knee to the man’s neck on May 25 last year. Prosecutors say Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as he pleaded that he couldn't breathe.
Fox News will present coverage surrounding the historic trial throughout the week. In addition to programming on the Fox News Channel, Fox News Digital will provide livestreams of the proceeding at FoxNews.com.
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