Derek Chauvin's kneeling on George Floyd's neck violated policy, Minneapolis police chief testifies

Advertisement
Derek Chauvin's kneeling on George Floyd's neck violated policy, Minneapolis police chief testifies
Minneapolis PD's Medaria Arradondo speaks during a security news conference in advance of the Super Bowl 52 football game, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, in Minneapolis.AP Photo/Matt Slocum
  • Medaria Arradondo said Chauvin violated department policies in his interaction with Floyd.
  • Using force on Floyd after he was handcuffed was in "no way, shape, or form" policy, he testified.
  • He said Chauvin also violated policy requiring officers to provide medical aid in emergencies.
Advertisement

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified Monday that fired officer Derek Chauvin violated the department's use-of-force policy on the day of George Floyd's death.

While Arradondo said choke holds are authorized in some situations, he told the jury the use of force he saw in a video filmed by a bystander was not objectively reasonable.

"Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped," Arradondo said.

"There is an initial reasonableness, trying to just get him under control in the first few seconds," he said. But Arradondo said that use of force should have stopped when Floyd was no longer resisting and especially when he was motionless.

"To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back, that in no way, shape, or form is anything that is by policy," the police chief said. "It's not part of our training. It's not part of our ethics or our values."

Advertisement

Chauvin is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death. Floyd died in May 2020 after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes, while Floyd begged for his life and eventually became unconscious.

When paramedics arrived at the scene, Floyd didn't have a pulse and police had not begun CPR.

Arradondo testified that Chauvin also violated department policy requiring officers to provide medical aid during emergencies.

{{}}