Mr Chauvins lawyer argued his use of force was "unattractive but necessary".

A witness has told of the last harrowing minutes of George Floyd's life on the opening day of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white American policeman accused of killing him.

Donald Williams III, a witness for the prosecution, said Mr Floyd was "slowly fading away" during the nine minutes Mr Chauvin kneeled on his back and neck.

Mr Chauvin's lawyer argued his use of force was "unattractive but necessary".

This trial is being seen by many as a pivotal moment in US race relations.

The May 2020 incident - in which Mr Chauvin was captured on video kneeling on the neck of Mr Floyd, a black man, in the city of Minneapolis - sparked protests in the US and across the world against police brutality and racism.

The man accused of killing George Floyd
The jurors who will decide Derek Chauvin's fate
Mr Chauvin, 45, who was dismissed from the police, denies murder and manslaughter charges, which carry sentences of up to 40 years in prison.

Three other officers present - Tou Thao, J Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane - will go on trial later in the year.

What was heard on the first day of the trial?
Donald Williams, a 33-year-old entrepreneur, said he had been planning to enter the Cup Foods shop, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when he witnessed the arrest of Mr Floyd on 25 May 2020.

He said he decided against entering the shop because "the energy was off", and instead began a conversation with the arresting police officers and urged them to check Mr Floyd's pulse.

He told the court he could see Mr Floyd's life slipping away. "He's slowly fading away like a fish in a bag," he said. "His eyes slowly rolled to the back of his head" until "he didn't have no life in him no more in his body".

At the start of the trial, prosecutors began by showing the nine-minute long videotape, shot by one of the bystanders, that showed Mr Chauvin kneeling on 46-year-old Mr Floyd.

Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell told jurors that Mr Floyd said 27 times that he could not breathe.

The tape proves Mr Chauvin was "engaging in behaviour that was imminently dangerous... without regard for its impact on the body of George Floyd," Mr Blackwell said.

Defence lawyer Eric Nelson, in his opening statements, said that the evidence "is far greater than nine minutes and 29 seconds" of video footage.

https://pactforanimals.org/advert/tensei-shitara-slime-datta-ken-season-2-episode-12-watch-online/
https://pactforanimals.org/advert/watch-black-clover-season-1-episode-170-online-full-series/
https://ticketbud.com/events/2fc008cc-9112-11eb-b77f-42010a717011
https://ticketbud.com/events/1556d65e-9113-11eb-8568-42010a717011
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-black-clover-season1-episode170-en-full-episodes/?page=1&size=20
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-black-clover-season1-episode170-en-full-episodes/about
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-black-clover-episode170-final-en-full-episodes/?page=1&size=20
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-black-clover-episode170-final-en-full-episodes/about
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-tensei-shitara-slime-datta-ken-season-2-episode-12-final-en-full-episodes/?page=1&size=20
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-tensei-shitara-slime-datta-ken-season-2-episode-12-final-en-full-episodes/about
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-a-slime-season-2-episode-12-en-full-episodes/?page=1&size=20
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-a-slime-season-2-episode-12-en-full-episodes/about
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-the-flash-season-7-episode-5-en-full-episodes/?page=1&size=20
https://zenodo.org/communities/watch-the-flash-season-7-episode-5-en-full-episodes/about
https://pactforanimals.org/advert/that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-a-slime-season-2-episode-12-online-full-episodes/
https://pactforanimals.org/advert/tensei-shitara-slime-datta-ken-season-2-episode-12-online-full-episodes-2/

The last 30 minutes of George Floyd's life
He said the evidence would show Mr Floyd "died of a cardiac arrhythmia, that occurred as a result of hypertension, coronary disease, the ingestion of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and adrenaline flowing through his body".

The court also heard testimony from 911 police despatcher Jena Scurry, who deployed police to the Cup Foods shop after George Floyd was reported for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill.

A camera fixed on the side of the building allowed her to watch the arrest unfold. She admitted her viewing had been sporadic as she fielded other calls, but told jurors that she thought the "screens had frozen" because of the length of time Mr Floyd was kept on the ground and became "concerned that something might be wrong".

The court also heard from one of those who filmed the incident, Alisha Oyler, who had been working in a nearby shop.

Before the trial began, Mr Floyd's family, civil rights lawyers and activists knelt outside the courthouse for the length of time Mr Chauvin kept his knee on Mr Floyd's neck.

What more do we know of the trial?
Fifteen jurors - nine women and six men - were originally selected; nine of them white and six black or multiracial.

One juror - who was a back-up option in case a juror dropped out before proceedings began - was dismissed on Monday, and the trial began with 12 jurors and two alternates.

They will remain anonymous and unseen throughout the televised trial, which is expected to last about four weeks.

The courthouse in central Minneapolis has been fortified with concrete barriers, fencing, and barbed and razor wire.

Why is this such a high-profile case?
The video footage of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck last May was replayed the world over.

To many, Floyd's death while in police custody became a vivid symbol of police brutality - particularly against people of colour - and it sparked worldwide demonstrations for racial justice.

But despite the global outcry this is not an open and shut case. In the US, police are rarely convicted for deaths that occur while they are on duty, if they are charged at all.

The verdict in this case will be widely seen as an indication of how the US legal system treats deaths that occur while in police custody.

Derek Chauvin, the former police officer filmed kneeling on George Floyd's neck before he died, is on trial in Minneapolis.

Since Mr Floyd's arrest and death on 25 May, the 19-year police veteran has remained largely out of the spotlight and free on bail.

Mr Chauvin will be the first of the four officers involved in the incident to stand trial. Jury selection began on 9 March.

He is facing the most serious charges of the four, including second-degree murder. Mr Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The others are charged with aiding and abetting Mr Chauvin's alleged crimes.

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/tensei-shitara-slime-2-12-online/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/black-clover-s1-e170-online
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/slime-s2-e12-hd/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/tensura-s2-e12-online-full/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/watch-tensura-slime-s2-e12-hd/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/tensei-s2-e12-full/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/snowfall-s4-e7-full-hd/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/watch-snowfall-s4xe7-online/
https://pactforanimals.org/advert/black-clover-season-1-episode-170-watch-online/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/anime-slime-s2-e12-engsub/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/slime-datta-ken-s2xe12-hd/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/watch-slime-s2-e12-full-hd/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/season2-slime-e12-engsub-hd/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/black-clover-s1xe170-engsub/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/full-black-clover-episode170/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/watch-black-clover-eps170-online/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/riverdale-s5-e10-online/
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/watch-riverdale-s5xe10-full/

What charges does Chauvin face?
He is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Prosecutors are also seeking to add a charge of third-degree murder.

Legal experts say that third-degree murder carries a lesser sentence, but it is easier to prove in court.

George Floyd: Why is the trial so important?
To prove second-degree murder, prosecutors must convince jurors that a serious assault had been committed by Mr Chauvin, and that it was a "substantial causal factor" in Mr Floyd's death.

Third-degree murder requires prosecutors to prove that Mr Chauvin showed a reckless disregard for human life, but not prove that an assault led to the death.

In an unrelated case filed after Mr Floyd's death, prosecutors charged Mr Chauvin and his wife with underpaying taxes for six years. They have pleaded not guilty to nine charges against them. Each charge carries a sentence of five years in prison.

What is Chauvin's police record?
Mr Chauvin, 44, was the most senior officer involved in Mr Floyd's arrest, having served for almost two decades with the Minneapolis Police Department.

Who are the officers charged over George Floyd's death?
George Floyd death: How will jurors be selected?
The questions used to screen Chauvin trial jurors
His record of policing included both commendations and complaints about conduct.

In 2006, Mr Chauvin was recommended for a medal of valour for his role in the shooting of a man who aimed a shotgun at officers.

There have been at least 15 conduct complaints against him, the Star Tribune reported, citing records from the Minneapolis Police Department's Internal Affairs. Most of the complaints were closed without discipline.

Mr Chauvin's personal files were heavily redacted, but there are details of one complaint from 2007.

It concerns allegations Mr Chauvin pulled a woman from her car and frisked her after she was caught driving 10mph (16 km/h) over the speed limit.

A report found Mr Chauvin did not record audio of the incident and failed to switch his dashboard camera on during the stop.

He was disciplined for this complaint and one other, receiving a letter of reprimand on both occasions, records show.

What do we know about his personal life?
Mr Chauvin served two stints in the US Army prior to his career with the police. He was a member of the military police from September 1996 to February 1997, and again from September 1999 to May 2000.

His other previous jobs include security guard and McDonald's employee.

The day after Mr Chauvin's arrest, a lawyer for his wife Kellie said she had filed for divorce.

"She is devastated by Mr Floyd's death and her utmost sympathy lies with his family, with his loved ones and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy," her lawyer said in a statement.

https://www.guest-articles.com/news/derek-chauvin-trial-george-floyd-slowly-fading-away-during-police-arrest-30-03-2021

Did Chauvin know George Floyd?
After Mr Floyd's death, the owner of a nightclub in Minneapolis revealed that the two men had