DEREK Chauvin's murder trial got underway on Monday, 10 months after the killing of George Floyd sent shockwaves around the world.

The high-profile trial began on March 29 after Floyd's family knelt outside of the courthouse for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time Chauvin was filmed kneeling on the 46-year-old's neck before he died.

On the first day of the trial:

• Prosecution showed video footage taken by bystanders of Floyd's death
• Defense claimed the video alone can not be used as proof as "evidence far greater than nine minutes"
• Both opening statements referenced Floyd's opioid addiction
• Chauvin faces charges of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter

The trial began with Judge Peter Cahill reminding the jury that they should not seek out further information about the trial and warning that it would contain graphic footage.

The prosecution led the opening statements with attorney Jerry Blackwell playing a video from one of the bystanders to the jury, showing what Floyd's family has branded as "torture."

Blackwell said that Chauvin "betrayed the badge" when using the "excessive force" seen in the video while arresting Floyd on May 25 last year.

The first footage showed Chauvin continuing to kneel on Floyd despite both the father-of-one's own pleas for help and those of the angered bystanders.

Follow our George Floyd trial live blog below for the very latest news and updates…

• Niamh Cavanagh7 minutes ago

  WHO IS JERRY BLACKWELL?

  Jerry Blackwell is the founding partner, CEO and chairman of the Minneapolis law firm of Blackwell Burke P.A. 

  He joined the Minnesota attorney general's office specifically for the Chauvin case and will not be paid for his work on it, according to The New York Times.

  The experienced attorney serves as national and trial counsel for several major corporations, according to his online bio.

  He has represented his clients in at least 47 states – and internationally.

  "Blackwell has numerous winning jury verdicts and favorable settlements to his credit," his bio reads.

  "He is a frequent presenter on winning trial strategies and how to communicate complicated legal, scientific, and business issues to jurors."

  When he is not working, Blackwell enjoys beekeeping, meditation, "and is an avid hobby farmer."

• Niamh Cavanagh56 minutes ago

  NEW GEORGE FLOYD VID SHOWS COPS OLDING HIM DOWN AS 911 WORKER SAYS SHE FEARED BEING 'SNITCH' WHEN SHE ALERTED POLICE

  New footage presented in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial shows cops pinning down George Floyd as the 911 dispatcher revealed she feared being viewed as a “snitch” for reporting their actions.

  City of Minneapolis 911 dispatcher Jena Scurry was the first witness on Monday and described how her “gut instinct” made her concerned while watching a live feed of the arrest.

  Scurry said that from her TV feed, she saw the officers pinning down Floyd for so long that she believed the screen had frozen.

  Her discomfort resulted in her calling Minneapolis Sgt. David Pleoger to raise concerns when she didn't receive a call for backup. 

  “You can call me a snitch if you want to,” she told the sergeant, who oversaw the officers involved, in the call played for the jury. 

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 11:12

  WHO IS DEREK CHAUVIN'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY ERIC NELSON?

  Eric Nelson, 46, is a founding partner at Halberg Defense, one of the largest criminal defense firms in the region, according to law partner Marsh Halberg. Nelson attended Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis before heading to Eastern University in Pennsylvania, where he majored in history.

  He earned his Juris Doctor from from Hamline University School of Law before he began exclusively practicing criminal defense law. According to his colleagues, Nelson has approached his cases with nerves of steel and is recognized as one of "the best defense attorneys."

  Nelson is one one of only 12 attorneys in a rotation the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association uses to represent its members writes Fox. Nelson will not grant interviews over the duration of Chauvin's trial in order to remain undistracted.

  "He is paced and professional and courteous and does not rattle. So he is a perfect fit for a case of this level of pressure," Halberg told Fox News.

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 10:56

  WHAT HAS DEREK CHAUVIN BEEN CHARGED WITH?

  Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, unintentional second-degree murder and third-degree murder.

  Investigators have found that the police officer's actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd's death.

  “Officer Chauvin’s restraint of Mr. Floyd in this manner for a prolonged period was a substantial causal factor in Mr. Floyd losing consciousness, constituting substantial bodily harm, and Mr. Floyd’s death as well," states the criminal complaint.

  Second-degree murder is when a person commits a felony crime, and as a result, causes death – without intent.

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 10:24

  EXPLAINER – WHO IS GEORGE FLOYD'S GIRLFRIEND?

  Courtney Ross is the girlfriend of 46-year-old George Floyd.

  She is from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  Courtney said they had been together for three years before his death.

  According to a Facebook profile appearing to belong to Ms Ross she has one daughter and works at a coffee shop in Minneapolis.

  

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 10:04

  EXPLAINER – WHAT DRUGS DID GEORGE FLOYD HAVE IN HIS SYSTEM?

  The attorney for Officer Thomas Lane, Earl Gray, pointed to police bodycam footage to claim that it appeared Floyd swallowed "2 milligrams of fentanyl," while getting arrested, calling it "a lethal dose."

  Gray claimed that Floyd swallowed the drugs while officers were attempting to take him into custody – pointing to a white spot on Floyd's tongue which, Gray claims, disappeared in the bodycam footage.

  Court documents read: “All he had to do is sit in the police car, like every other defendant who is initially arrested. While attempting to avoid his arrest, all by himself, Mr. Floyd overdosed on Fentanyl.

  "Given his intoxication level, breathing would have been difficult at best.

  "Mr Floyd’s intentional failure to obey commands, coupled with his overdosing, contributed to his own death."

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 09:34

  CONTINUED

  Williams recalled what Floyd told Chauvin: "My stomach hurts, I can't breathe, my head hurts, I want my mom."

  The 33-year-old Williams then added that Floyd was pleading for his life with Chauvin, saying "He said he wanted to get in the car, he said he's sorry for what he did."

  It radically changed polling laws, including tougher identification requirements to vote, restricting polling station access and it's now illegal to serve food and drinks to people queuing up to cast their votes at venues.

  "They're using language, referring to things like Jim Crow. Who was the party that implemented Jim Crow in this country? It was the Democrats," Owens continued.

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 09:21

  DEADLY HOLD

  An MMA expert said he saw Derek Chauvin use a "blood choke" on George Floyd as the two wrestled to the ground – but said he was ignored as Floyd struggled to breathe.

  Donald Williams, the third witness at the trial for Chauvin said the officer, who was seen on tape kneeling on Floyd's neck as he gasped for air, had put him in a "blood choke" that was all but certain to cut off Floyd's circulation.

  "I watched the position one, of where the position of the knee was on the neck, two, what body movements was going on while the knee was on the neck," Williams said.

  "And three, what was the condition of George Floyd as he was going through this torture."

  "I felt the officer on top was shimmying to actually get the final choke in while he was on top," said Williams, referring to his training as a mixed martial arts fighter to call such a hold a "blood chokehold."

• Niamh CavanaghToday, 08:42

  WITNESS TO DEADLY ARREST OF FLOYD RETURNING TO STAND IN CHAUVIN TRIAL

  A professional mixed martial arts fighter who witnessed the deadly arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May is due to return to the stand on Tuesday for the second day of testimony in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

  Donald Williams can be heard on a bystander's cellphone screaming at Chauvin, who kept his knee on Floyd's neck for about nine minutes during the arrest on May 25, 2020, shortly after Floyd was accused of passing a fake $20 bill.

  Williams calls Chauvin a "bum" in the video, accuses the white police officer of "enjoying" his restraining of Floyd, a 46-year-old handcuffed Black man, and told jurors on Monday he believed that Chauvin was using his knee in a "blood choke" on Floyd, a wrestling move to knock an opponent unconscious.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 00:32

  'DEREK DID WHAT HE WAS TRAINED TO DO' – DEFENSE

  Derek Chauvin's lawyers argue that the main cause of George Floyd's death, which the county examiner ruled a homicide caused by police restraints, was a drug overdose.

  Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, used his 25-minute opening statement to describe Mr Floyd's drug use, his underlying health problems and a chaotic scene during the arrest.

  "This was not an easy struggle," he said, adding that the screaming of bystanders ended up "causing the officers to divert their attention from the care of Mr Floyd."

  "Derek Chauvin did exactly what he was trained to do over the course of his 19-year career," Mr Nelson told the jury in Minnesota on Monday.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 00:14

  GEORGE FLOYD VIDEO PLAYED IN COURT

  Video played during opening statements in court on Monday was posted to Facebook by a bystander who witnessed George Floyd being arrested after he was accused of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store.

  Jurors watched intently as the footage was shown on multiple screens, with one drawing a sharp breath as Mr Floyd said he couldn't breathe.

  Derek Chauvin sat calmly during the opening statements and took notes, looking up at the video periodically.

  "My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts," MrFloyd says in the video, and: "I cant breathe, officer".

  Onlookers repeatedly shout at the cop to get off Mr Floyd, saying he is not moving, breathing or resisting. One woman, identifying herself as a city Fire Department employee, shouts at Chauvin to check Mr Floyd's pulse.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 23:23

  DONALD WILLIAMS TOLD COURT ABOUT GEORGE FLOYD STRUGGLING TO BREATHE

  Bystander Donald Williams, who said he was trained in mixed martial arts, including chokeholds, testified that Derek Chauvin appeared to increase the pressure on Floyd's neck several times with a shimmying motion.

  He said he yelled to the officer that he was cutting off Mr Floyd's blood supply.

  Mr Williams recalled that Mr Floyd's voice grew thicker as his breathing became more labored, and he eventually stopped moving.

  He said that he saw Mr Floyd's eyes roll back in his head, likening the sight to a fish he had caught earlier that day.

  Mr Williams said he saw Mr Floyd slowly fade away … like the fish in the bag.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 23:02

  TECHNICAL GLITCH ENDS FIRST DAY OF TRIAL

  State witness Donald Williams today gave "gripping testimony drawing on his experience in martial arts – he tells the court he believes Chauvin put Floyd in a 'blood choke' that could be lethal, and is warned by the judge not to opine when he has not been asked to do so," reports BBC News.

  But, during his testimony the court was forced to adjourn, the broadcaster adds.

  "A technical glitch has cut the feed, so the jury is dismissed until 9.30am local time tomorrow," says the BBC.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 22:58

  WITNESS ASKED TO IDENTIFY COP

  Donald Williams was asked during the opening day of the trial to point out ex-cop Derek Chauvin as the policeman who put his knee on George Floyd's neck.

  Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said: "From that vantage point, depicted in exhibit 17, that officer, do you see that person present in the courtroom?"

  BBC News reports that Chauvin stood up and took his mask off, while briefly looking at Mr Williams.

  Williams replied: "That's correct, he's standing right there."

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 22:33

  GEORGE 'DIDN'T HAVE NO LIFE IN HIM NO MORE'

  Minneapolis father Donald Williams, 33, who works in private security, has been giving his testimony during today's George Floyd trial.

  BBC News reports that Williams explained to the court that he told cops they should check Mr Floyd's pulse.

  Williams graphically recounted the man's final moments, saying: "He's slowly fading away like a fish in a bag.

  "His eyes slowly rolled to the back of his head" until "he didn't have no life in him no more in his body," he says.

  

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 22:06

  ERIC NELSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, RESPONDS:

  "The evidence will show that when confronted by police, Mr Floyd put drugs in his mouth in an effort to conceal them from the police."

  "You will see that three Minneapolis police officers could not overcome the strength of Mr Floyd. Mr Chauvin stands five foot, nine (inches) (1.75 m) and 140 pounds (64 kg). Mr Floyd is six (feet) three (inches) (1.9 m) and weighs 233 pounds (106 kg).

  "You will learn that Derek Chauvin did exactly what he was trained to do over the course of his 19-year career. The use of force is not attractive but it is a necessary component of policing.

  "What was Mr Floyd's actual cause of death? The evidence will show that Mr Floyd died of a cardiac-arrhythmias that occurred as a result of hypertension, coronary disease, the ingestion of methamphetamine and fentanyl and the adrenaline flowing through his body, all of which acted to further compromise an already compromised heart."

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 22:05

  JERRY BLACKWELL, PROSECUTOR, OPENS TRIAL:

  "You will learn that on May 25 of 2020 Mr Derek Chauvin betrayed this badge when (he) used excessive and unreasonable force upon the body of Mr George Floyd, that he put his knees upon his neck and his back, grinding and crushing him until the very breath, no ladies and gentlemen, until the very life was squeezed out.

  "The most important numbers you will hear in this trial are nine-two-nine. What happened in those nine minutes and 29 seconds when Mr Derek Chauvin was applying this excessive force to the body of Mr George Floyd.

  "You will see that he does not let up and he does not get up. Even when Mr Floyd does not even have a pulse, it continues on."

  "The evidence is going to show you that there was no cause in the first place to use lethal force against a man who was defenseless, who was handcuffed, who was not resisting."

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 21:44

  CAMERAS IN COURT FOR GEORGE FLOYD DEATH TRIAL

  The trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's death is being conducted under special circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic.

  For example, the trial is being televised, which is common in many states but not in Minnesota.

  Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill cited intense interest in the trial, the limited courtroom space and the need for transparency, to allow cameras in.

  Cahill also cited Chauvin's right to a public trial.

• Chiara Fiorillo29th Mar 2021, 21:28

  DEREK CHAUVIN 'BETRAYED HIS BADGE', PROSECUTOR SAYS

  Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin betrayed his badge in the deadly arrest of George Floyd last May, a prosecutor told jurors in his opening statement at the trial.

  Jerry Blackwell, a prosecutor with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, told the racially diverse jurors that officers who wear the Minneapolis police badge pledge never to use "unnecessary force or violence."

  "You will learn that on May 25, Mr. Derek Chauvin betrayed this badge when he used excessive and unreasonable force upon the body of George Floyd," said Blackwell.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 21:03

  JURORS SHOWN VIDEO IN EX-COP'S TRIAL

  The video of George Floyd gasping for breath was essentially Exhibit A as the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee on the man’s neck went on trial today on charges of murder and manslaughter.

  Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell showed the jurors the footage at the earliest opportunity.

  The white officer “didn’t let up” even after a handcuffed Floyd said 27 times that he couldn’t breathe and went limp, Blackwell said.

  “He put his knees upon his neck and his back, grinding and crushing him, until the very breath – no, ladies and gentlemen – until the very life was squeezed out of him,” the prosecutor said.

  But Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing: “Derek Chauvin did exactly what he had been trained to do over his 19-year career.”

  

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 20:40

  'INSTINCTS TELLING ME SOMETHING WAS WRONG' – COP DISPATCHER

  The first witness called to today's trial was Minneapolis police dispatcher Jena Scurry.

  She testified that she saw part of George Floyd's arrest unfolding via a city surveillance camera, and she was so disturbed that she called a duty sergeant.

  Scurry said she grew concerned because the officers hadn't moved after several minutes.

  "You can call me a snitch if you want to", Scurry said in her call to the sergeant, which was played in court.

  She said she wouldn't normally call the sergeant about the use of force because it was beyond the scope of her duties, "but my instincts were telling me that something is wrong".

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 20:14

  BARRICADES AND SECURITY DURING TRIAL

  The courtroom at the heart of Derek Chauvin's trial is in a tower in downtown Minneapolis, which is ringed with concrete barriers, barbed wire and soldiers from the state’s National Guard.

  For blocks around, businesses are closed and windows boarded up, fearing a repeat of the arson and other property damage that occurred after George Floyd’s death.

  Less than three miles away, residents maintain a vigil at the intersection where Chauvin kept his knee on a handcuffed Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes as he used his final breaths to plead for his life.

  Chauvin and three other officers were arresting Mr Floyd on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill at the Cup Foods grocery store nearby.

  Four sets of barricades block police from coming to the intersection, now called George Floyd Square, which is filled with flowers, posters, murals and other tributes to the dead man.

  

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 19:50

  HOW HAS DEREK CHAUVIN PLEADED IN GEORGE FLOYD TRIAL?

  Ex Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin 45, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

  His lawyers are arguing that he followed his training and that the main cause of George Floyd’s death, which the county examiner ruled a homicide, was a drug overdose.

  He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.

  The Minneapolis Police Department fired Chauvin and the three other officers involved the day after the arrest.

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 19:21

  COURTHOUSE HEAVILY FORTIFIED

  Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin squeezed the life out of George Floyd while joining other officers in arresting him last May, a prosecutor told jurors in his opening statement at Chauvin’s murder trial in a heavily fortified courthouse on Monday.

  Chauvin’s lead attorney, Eric Nelson, said in his opening statement that the former officer followed his police training.

  Jerry Blackwell, a prosecutor with the Minnesota attorney general’s office, told jurors that officers who wear the Minneapolis police badge pledge to never use “unnecessary force or violence.”

  “You will learn that on May 25, Mr. Derek Chauvin betrayed this badge when he used excessive and unreasonable force upon the body of George Floyd,” said Blackwell, who addressed the jury for just shy of an hour.

  He displayed a still image from a bystander’s cellphone video of Chauvin, who his white, with his knee on the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man in handcuffs, saying it showed Chauvin “grinding and crushing him until the very breath — no, ladies and gentlemen — the very life was squeezed out of him.”

  

• Debbie White29th Mar 2021, 18:55

  WHAT IS EX-COP DEREK CHAUVIN CHARGED WITH?

  Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

  George Floyd died on Memorial Day in 2020 while being arrested by Chauvin and other officers.

  The key questions – writes the Associated Press – will be whether Chauvin caused Mr Floyd’s death and whether his actions were reasonable.

  For the unintentional second-degree murder charge, prosecutors have to prove Chauvin’s conduct was a “substantial causal factor” in Mr Floyd’s death, and that Chauvin was committing felony assault at the time.

  For third-degree murder, they must prove that Chauvin’s actions caused Floyd’s death and were reckless and without regard for human life.

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