ĢĒŠÄvlog

Skip to content
NOWCAST ĢĒŠÄvlog News at 6am Weekday Mornings
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Police trainer testifies against officers in Floyd's death

Police trainer testifies against officers in Floyd's death
We heard opening statements in the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers who are charged with federal civil rights violations in the death of George Floyd. We heard the prosecutors accused the men of standing by as fellow officer Derek Showman did slowly killed George Floyd right in front of them. But we also heard one defense detector, any counter that chauvin called all the shots because he was a senior officer at the scene and he criticized the Minneapolis police Department for doing too little to train its officers to intervene when a colleague ought to be stopped yet another defense attorney, you focus on Floyd's struggle with the police before they restrained him and an attorney for a third officer said his client's raised concerns about keeping Floyd restrained but was rebuffed with these three officers, J alexander King thomas Lane and two towers are charged being tried separately in both federal and state courts. They're charged with broad terms with a depriving of white of the civil rights while acting under government authority. In this case, they face a separate trial later this year on charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter, Count one unintentional second degree murder while committing a felony, find the defendant guilty. All three of these officers appear in the videos that The world has seen of George Floyd's death which happened back in May of 2020. It's everybody will be focused on good former officer Derek chauvin who kept flying into the ground with his knee for more than for close to 9.5 minutes. This trial is about the role of the other officers.
AP logo
Updated: 12:37 PM CST Feb 8, 2022
Editorial Standards ā“˜
Advertisement
Police trainer testifies against officers in Floyd's death
AP logo
Updated: 12:37 PM CST Feb 8, 2022
Editorial Standards ā“˜
A Minneapolis police officer who oversaw medical training for two of the three former officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights testified Tuesday that the officers were trained to give CPR as soon as they fail to find a pulse on someone.Officer Nicole Mackenzie, the department’s medical support coordinator, took the stand for a second day in the federal trial of J. Alexander Kung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. She testified Monday that Kueng and Lane were in a police academy ā€œemergency medical responderā€ class that she taught, which covered first aid, ethics in care and how to hand people off to paramedics. On Tuesday, Mackenzie also discussed the refresher training that experienced officers get, including Thao.ā€œIf you can’t detect a pulse after about 10 seconds, then you should begin CPR,ā€ Mackenzie testified.Lane and Kueng were rookies, just a few days out of field training, when they were dispatched to a call alleging that Floyd had tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a neighborhood market in May 2020. They were soon joined by two more experienced officers, Derek Chauvin and Thao, and the ensuing confrontation led to Floyd's death.Kueng, Lane and Thao are accused of depriving Floyd, 46, of his rights when they failed to give him medical aid as Chauvin knelt on the Black man’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd was handcuffed, facedown. Kueng and Thao are also accused of failing to intervene in the killing, which triggered protests worldwide and a reexamination of racism and policing.A lung specialist testified Monday that Floyd could have been saved if the officers had moved him into a position in which he could breathe more easily, and that his chances of survival would have "doubled or tripledā€ if they had performed CPR as soon as his heart stopped.Mackenzie testified Monday that cadets are taught on their first day about the need to roll subjects into the ā€œside recovery positionā€ so they can breathe instead of keeping them prone on their stomachs. Their first day also would have included training on ethics, she said, including how responders have a duty of care to people in medical emergencies. She went through excerpts from a textbook that she said they would have been required to read before class.On Tuesday, Mackenzie testified that it's been the standard, ā€œas long as I’ve been around" that officers are supposed to call for an ambulance and being CPR right away if they can't find a pulse. She said they're told not to wait even if an ambulance is already on the way.Previous testimony has established that Chauvin told his fellow officers after Floyd became unresponsive and they couldn't find a pulse to wait for an ambulance that was on its way. Officers kept restraining Floyd until the ambulance got there, according to testimony and video footage.Slaughter played a portion of Lane’s body camera video in which a handcuffed Floyd, prone on his stomach, repeatedly complains, ā€œI can’t breathe.ā€ Mackenzie said what she saw and heard was ā€œinconsistentā€ with what Kueng and Lane were trained to do and with departmental policies. She said they should have stood or sat Floyd up or rolled him onto his side.She also said officers are never taught that someone who can talk can breathe, as one of the officers is heard suggesting.Mackenzie also said what she saw and heard of Thao's actions when reviewing his body camera video were ā€œinconsistentā€ with officers’ training because she saw no efforts to render aid.Kueng, who is Black, Lane, who is white, and Thao, who is Hmong American, are charged with willfully depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights while acting under government authority. The charges allege that the officers’ actions resulted in Floyd’s death.Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder and manslaughter in state court last year and was sentenced to 22 1/2 years. He pleaded guilty in December to a federal civil rights charge.Lane, Kueng and Thao also face a separate state trial in June on charges alleging that they aided and abetted murder and manslaughter.

A Minneapolis police officer who oversaw medical training for two of the three former officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights testified Tuesday that the officers were trained to give CPR as soon as they fail to find a pulse on someone.

Officer Nicole Mackenzie, the department’s medical support coordinator, took the stand for a second day in the federal trial of J. Alexander Kung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. She testified Monday that Kueng and Lane were in a police academy ā€œemergency medical responderā€ class that she taught, which covered first aid, ethics in care and how to hand people off to paramedics. On Tuesday, Mackenzie also discussed the refresher training that experienced officers get, including Thao.

Advertisement

ā€œIf you can’t detect a pulse after about 10 seconds, then you should begin CPR,ā€ Mackenzie testified.

Lane and Kueng were rookies, just a few days out of field training, when they were dispatched to a call alleging that Floyd had tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a neighborhood market in May 2020. They were soon joined by two more experienced officers, Derek Chauvin and Thao, and the ensuing confrontation led to Floyd's death.

Kueng, Lane and Thao are accused of depriving Floyd, 46, of his rights when they failed to give him medical aid as Chauvin knelt on the Black man’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd was handcuffed, facedown. Kueng and Thao are also accused of failing to intervene in the killing, which triggered protests worldwide and a reexamination of racism and policing.

A lung specialist testified Monday that Floyd could have been saved if the officers had moved him into a position in which he could breathe more easily, and that his chances of survival would have "doubled or tripledā€ if they had performed CPR as soon as his heart stopped.

Mackenzie testified Monday that cadets are taught on their first day about the need to roll subjects into the ā€œside recovery positionā€ so they can breathe instead of keeping them prone on their stomachs. Their first day also would have included training on ethics, she said, including how responders have a duty of care to people in medical emergencies. She went through excerpts from a textbook that she said they would have been required to read before class.

On Tuesday, Mackenzie testified that it's been the standard, ā€œas long as I’ve been around" that officers are supposed to call for an ambulance and being CPR right away if they can't find a pulse. She said they're told not to wait even if an ambulance is already on the way.

Previous testimony has established that Chauvin told his fellow officers after Floyd became unresponsive and they couldn't find a pulse to wait for an ambulance that was on its way. Officers kept restraining Floyd until the ambulance got there, according to testimony and video footage.

Slaughter played a portion of Lane’s body camera video in which a handcuffed Floyd, prone on his stomach, repeatedly complains, ā€œI can’t breathe.ā€ Mackenzie said what she saw and heard was ā€œinconsistentā€ with what Kueng and Lane were trained to do and with departmental policies. She said they should have stood or sat Floyd up or rolled him onto his side.

She also said officers are never taught that someone who can talk can breathe, as one of the officers is heard suggesting.

Mackenzie also said what she saw and heard of Thao's actions when reviewing his body camera video were ā€œinconsistentā€ with officers’ training because she saw no efforts to render aid.

Kueng, who is Black, Lane, who is white, and Thao, who is Hmong American, are charged with willfully depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights while acting under government authority. The charges allege that the officers’ actions resulted in Floyd’s death.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder and manslaughter in state court last year and was sentenced to 22 1/2 years. He pleaded guilty in December to a federal civil rights charge.

Lane, Kueng and Thao also face a separate state trial in June on charges alleging that they aided and abetted murder and manslaughter.