George Floyd murder: Third officer testifies as defense rests in federal trial

The defense attorney for the third officer charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights rested his case Monday, paving the way for closing arguments.

The defense attorney for the third former Minneapolis officer charged with violating George Floyd‘s civil rights as Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck rested his case Monday, after the officer testified that he didn’t realize how dire Floyd’s condition was until paramedics turned him over.

Thomas Lane testified that moment was the first time he had seen Floyd’s face since police had put the 46-year-old Black man handcuffed, facedown on the ground while struggling to arrest him. Before that, as Lane held Floyd’s legs, he thought he saw Floyd’s chest rise and fall, Lane testified, and believed Floyd still had blood pressure based on the appearance of veins in his arm.

“What went through your mind when you saw his face there, once he was tipped over?” Gray asked.

“Um. He didn’t look good,” Lane said

Lane’s co-defendants, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, presented their cases last week. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Thao kept bystanders back.

The trial was nearing an end just as another major civil rights went to a jury Monday in Georgia. In that case, three white men are charged with hate crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man who was chased and shot in February 2020.

Closing arguments in the Minnesota trial are scheduled for Tuesday.

Under cross-examination, Lane told prosecutor Samantha Trepel that he was trained that he had a duty to intervene and to provide medical care if needed. Lane said when someone doesn’t have a pulse, CPR should be started as soon as possible “in ideal situations,” but said that isn’t always possible in law enforcement.