(ANSA) - ROME, MARCH 08 - An armored Minneapolis is preparing for the start today of what will be one of the most followed trials in the United States in years, that of the white agent accused of killing George Floyd.
This was reported by Cnbc news.
The selection of the jury begins at 8 local (15 in Italy), Derek Chauvin, the now former city policeman who used his knee to suffocate a pleading Floyd imploring on the sidewalk for almost nine years on May 25 last year, is accused of second degree murder and manslaughter.
He was released on bail and will appear in court.
Floyd's death exposed already painful racial wounds in the United States and his cry of pain, 'I can'tbreath', sparked months of sometimes violent protests against racism and police brutality, both in the United States and in the United States. abroad.
Lawyers on both sides face the difficult task of finding jurors who have not already made a decision on Chauvin's guilt.
The trial is expected to last three weeks and the final hearings are expected to begin on March 29.
Several protesters have stood before the court since yesterday, many supporting placards of the "Black Lives Matter" movement and demanding "justice for George Floyd".
The government buildings in the center have all been fenced off.
Some shops are closed or have their shutters down.
Authorities say they are preparing for any sentences, security conventions involving the FBI, the Minnesota State Police, the St. Paul Police Department and the Minnesota National Guard.
The City of Minneapolis and the County of Hennepin plan to spend at least $ 1 million to install fencing and other barricaded protection during the trial.
(HANDLE).
