Police chief: Use of force on George Floyd unjustified

The trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin moved into its second week on Monday. Dr. Bradford Langenfeld, the emergency physician who tried to resuscitate George Floyd, testified that he thought Floyd died of asphyxia. Langenfeld was on duty at the Hennepin County Medical Center when paramedics brought Floyd in after trying to resuscitate him for 30 minutes. He said Floyd’s heart had already stopped when he arrived, most likely from cardiac arrest after lack of oxygen. Prosecutors blamed Chauvin for pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes before Floyd died on May 25, 2020. When questioned by Chauvin’s attorneys, the doctor confirmed fentanyl and methamphetamine, both of which were found in Floyd’s body, can cause hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen.

Who else testified on Monday? Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified that police policy and training require officers to de-escalate situations and minimize use of force. Officers are trained in basic first aid and must provide help as soon as possible while waiting for paramedics, and Chauvin should have stopped forcibly restraining Floyd when Floyd stopped resisting, Arradondo said.

Dig Deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s column about the tragedy of Floyd’s death.