Minneapolis officers federal trial: MPD inspector, ER doctor testify
Day 4 of federal trial for other Minneapolis officers involved in George Floyd's death
Taking the stand on Thursday, as part of day four of a federal trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd, was a fellow officer who testified on police training and an emergency room doctor who cared for Floyd after the May 2020 incident.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Taking the stand on Thursday, as part of day four of a federal trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd, was a fellow officer who testified on police training.
Inspector Katie Blackwell, who worked as the commander of the training division in the department in 2020, walked jurors through the training officers in Minneapolis receive.
Prosecutors in the case are working to prove Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane deprived George Floyd of his civil rights. Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty on state murder charges, has already pled guilty to the federal charges. Prosecutors say the three officers failed to intervene in the murder, as Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck.
Blackwell explained police have a duty to intervene when an unnecessary amount of force is being used by an officer, and to report it. Explaining that the Minneapolis Police Department has a lengthy use of force policy.
"It's a big one that we don't want our officers to violate," Blackwell said of excessive use of force. "We teach them to use the lowest level of force possible when they detain somebody."
Whether or not they are convicted in this case, the trio of officers still face state charges in the murder of George Floyd.