Prosecutor: Chauvin’s knee on Floyd was ‘grinding and crushing’

The defence and prosecution give opening statements in the trial of the police officer accused of killing George Floyd.

Opening statements began Monday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer on trial for the alleged murder of George Floyd, the man whose death sparked international protests against racism and police brutality. Both the prosecution and defence laid out their narrative of the events of Floyd’s May 25 arrest and death, discussing how their witnesses – who number in the hundreds – will prove their theories. The trial began with the infamous video of the arrest, which shows Floyd’s death.