From USAtoday.com…
After calling seven witnesses over the course of two days, the defense in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin rested its case Thursday morning.
Chauvin did not testify. He is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.
The defense, led by attorney Eric Nelson, called on current and former police officers, a retired paramedic, an eyewitness, a use-of-force expert, an officer who leads the department’s emergency medical response training and a former medical examiner in an attempt to prove that Chauvin’s use of force was reasonable and Floyd died because of his health issues and drug use.
Key testimony for the defense came from expert witness Barry Brodd, who has taught use-of-force to officers in California for 35 years. Brodd was the only witness in the trial to say Chauvin’s use of force was “justified” and that the prone restraint “doesn’t hurt.” That contradicted testimony from prosecution witness that the restraint is potentially lethal.
