Presumably such evidence was presented at trial and was found to be unconvincing.We're all evaluating this with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. However, MANY suspects have been held in restraint positions for MUCH longer than 9 minutes, and they did not die and weren't even seriously injured.
You are allowed to believe whatever you like.I believe that had Floyd not been in such distress BEFORE he was ever restrained he might not have resisted arrest so strenuously and would not have continued to struggle with police once they restrained him.
Which he was.Chauvin made the wrong call. I'm comfortable calling it negligent (because he would have received training requiring him to be alert to the medical distress of suspects), and yes, he should be punished for that.
He was found guilty of manslaughter.
Not something I believe you actually believe, though.The significant power we give police officers needs to be paired with significant accountability.
Most of the people on this board believe quite explicitly that the cops should not be held accountable.
That isn't the narrative that drove the riots. Not exactly.However, in my opinion the right charge was manslaughter, and that means the right narrative was/is negligence - not that cops systemically look for opportunties to murder black suspects (and that is the narrative that drove the riots).
I've never seen a narrative that says cops are going around systematically looking for opportunities to murder black folks.
And again, he was tried and convicted for negligence and manslaughter.
And again, the problem you have is that you are framing the protests as what happened in response to his guilty verdict.You may think this is splitting hairs, but I don't. I think it would have made all the difference to what happened that summer (and following). Getting the narrative right always matters. It would certainly matter as to whether people would be trying to kill him in prison now.
They happened in response to him killing Floyd and then lying about it.
What you are saying is that after claiming nothing happened, then being caught out because of the video, the entire state apparatus should have insisted that it was manslaughter and murder not even considered by a court of law.Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction
May 25, 2020 (MINNEAPOLIS) On Monday evening, shortly after 8:00 pm, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department responded to the 3700 block of Chicago Avenue South on a report of a forgery in progress. Officers were advised that the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence.
Two officers arrived and located the suspect, a male believed to be in his 40s, in his car. He was ordered to step from his car. After he got out, he physically resisted officers. Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later.
At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has been called in to investigate this incident at the request of the Minneapolis Police Department.
No officers were injured in the incident.
Body worn cameras were on and activated during this incident.
The GO number associated with this case is 20-140629.
You believe that this would have made protests less likely.
I am skeptical of your assumptions here.