Derek Chauvin Trial: Prosecution Makes Closing Argument

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Prosecutor Steve Schleicher said Derek Chauvin "had to know" he killed George Floyd.

The trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd has been underway over the past few weeks. It's been filled with emotional testimonies from family and friends of Floyd, as well as individuals who witnessed the incident take place and medical officials who observed the victim after Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes. 

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Steve Schleicher made his closing statements to the jury today where he explained that Chauvin's excessive force was the cause of George Floyd's death. He explained that Floyd made multiple cries for help were deliberately ignored, adding that the defendant "had to know" he killed the victim.

"The case is called the state of Minnesota vs. Derek Chauvin, not the state of Minnesota vs. the police," Schleicher said in an explanation that "there's nothing worse for good police than a bad police."

Schleicher told the jurors that they need to believe what they saw on the video while addressing the defense's argument that Floyd's death was caused by an overdose. The prosecution cited the medical examiner's ruling that it was a homicide.

"Make no mistake. [Chauvin's] actions were not policing. These actions were an assault," Schleicher added. 

Scheicher also went through the methods that the jurors can find a guilty verdict for any of the three charges, adding that Chauvin's actions do not need to be proven as an intention to convict him of second-degree murder. 

On Thursday, Chauvin invoked his right to not testify.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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