Nine months after the death of George Floyd, which reopened racial wounds in America, the police officer accused of having killed him finds himself facing justice, and his trial, which begins Monday, March 8 in Minneapolis, promises to be exceptional in all respects.
Hearings broadcast live, courtroom stars, enhanced security ...: the framework is up to the stakes for this
"emblematic criminal case, one of the most important in
American
history"
, according to Neal Katyal, who will carry the charge against Derek Chauvin.
Read also: America's tribute to George Floyd, erected as a martyr of racism
On May 25, 2020, in this large city in the northern United States, the white policeman held a knee on George Floyd's neck, pinned to the ground and handcuffed, for nearly nine long minutes.
The black forty-something might have begged him, then fell unconscious, he never released his pressure.
The torture, filmed by a passerby and broadcast live on the Internet, shocked from New York to Seattle, but also in London, Paris, or Sydney, where indignant crowds took to the streets to demand justice, and chant "Black Lives Matter ”(black lives matter).
The police officers involved in the tragedy were dismissed on the spot, but it took several days for Derek Chauvin to be charged with
"murder"
and his three colleagues with
"complicity"
.
In the meantime, major American cities were set ablaze, a police station even burned down in Minneapolis.
Since then calm has returned.
But the country, always on edge, is preparing to follow the trial of Derek Chauvin, which will be as much that of a man as of the American police, riveted to its screens.
The former agent, who was released on bail in the fall, was due to stand trial along with his colleagues Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao.
To avoid a crowded courtroom in the midst of a pandemic, a judge postponed their trial until the summer.
The justice of Minnesota will therefore be devoted exclusively to the heavy charges weighing on Derek Chauvin, 44 years of which 19 in the police force of Minneapolis.
For a police officer to be charged with excessive use of force is already rare in the United States, so for murder ... "
Ashley Heiberger, former police officer converted to counseling and training
"That a police officer is charged with excessive use of force is already rare in the United States, so for murder ..."
, underlines Ashley Heiberger, a former police officer reconverted in the council and the training.
As for the convictions of police officers for murder, it can be counted on the fingers of one hand, the jurors having, according to him,
"a tendency to give them the benefit of the doubt"
.
But this time, the facts are so disturbing that no member of the profession has come out in support of the accused, which is extremely rare, underlines Ashley Heiberger.
It will still take the unanimity of the twelve jurors for him to be declared guilty.
If only one is missing, the trial will end with a dismissal.
This scenario, or an acquittal, is sure to rekindle the anger of anti-racist activists.
Read also: Death of George Floyd: protests continue in the United States despite threats from Trump
Behind a white coffin covered with red roses, thousands of people marched Sunday in Minneapolis to demand
"justice"
, on the eve of the trial of the white policeman who killed the African American George Floyd.
The crowd, very diverse, remained mostly silent in homage to the black forty-something, died on May 25 under the knee of the agent Derek Chauvin, just coming out of his silence to chant
"No justice, no peace!"
.
Behind a banner displaying the last words of George Floyd,
“I can't breathe” (I can't breathe!)
, The demonstrators marched around the seat of the local government, which will house this trial from Monday.
The delicate selection of the jury
To avoid any overflow, the authorities mobilized thousands of police and National Guard soldiers.
As for the surroundings of the court, they took on the air of an entrenched camp, with barbed wire and concrete barriers.
The trial will begin with the selection of the jury, which is proving to be very delicate.
Unable to find jurors ignorant of everything about the case, the parties are looking for the most neutral people possible.
“What do you think of the Black Lives Matter movement?
Have you ever been arrested?
How many times have you seen the video of the drama? ”
: a long questionnaire has already been sent to potential jurors, who will be on the grill for three weeks.
The substantive debates will begin on March 29.
Read also: United States: the racial divide at the heart of the presidential election
Derek Chauvin will plead not guilty.
He
"did exactly what he was trained to do"
to arrest a recalcitrant suspect, wrote his lawyer, Eric Nelson, ahead of the trial.
According to him, George Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose.
The forensic pathologist did find traces of this synthetic opiate in the body of the African American, but he considered that the death was due to "
the pressure exerted on his neck
".
On Saturday, Ben Crump, who represents the Floyd family, denounced a diversion:
"They are expected to try to forget the video, by accusing George of all evils
.
"
The prosecution will argue that the forty-something, suspected of having tried to sell a false 20 dollar bill, did not represent any danger.
She intends to seek a heavy sentence against Derek Chauvin who, according to her, had
"the intention"
to make his victim suffer.
To prove that her crime was part of a
"modus operandi"
, she invited as a witness a black woman who, in 2017, was brutalized by the police.
Other highlights are planned, including the hearing of the teenager who filmed the scene.
Jurors are expected to retire to deliberate at the end of April.
Pending trial, the one who today embodies the face of police violence in the United States, has been released on bail of one million dollars.
Out of fear for his safety, he was allowed to settle outside of Minnesota at an address that was kept secret.
In addition to criminal proceedings, he is the subject of civil lawsuits by the family of George Floyd.
