USA Today
MINNEAPOLIS — One of the most important witnesses in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is expected to take the stand Friday, prosecutors said, capping off a long week of highly technical legal and medical testimony.
Last year, Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County chief medical examiner, ruled George Floyd’s death a homicide. He said Floyd’s heart and lungs stopped amid “law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.”
A family-commissioned autopsy released around the same time found Floyd’s death was a homicide caused by “asphyxiation from sustained pressure.”
Baker’s testimony will be key to prosecutors, who say Floyd was killed by Chauvin’s knee on his neck for more than nine minutes. The defense argues Floyd died as a result of the drugs in his system and underlying medical issues.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
This news originally appeared on USA Today.
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