Friday, March 29, 2024

Derek Chauvin Trial, Day 2: Off Duty Firefighter, Teen Who Recorded Viral Video, 9-Year-Old Among Witnesses (Video)

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Firefighter Genevieve Hansen Testifies In Derek Chauvin Trial

*Six witnesses testified Tuesday in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and several teared up while describing their recollections of the day George Floyd died.

Witnesses included a mixed martial arts fighter, the teen who recorded the now viral video of Floyd’s death, the teen’s 9-year-old cousin, two high school seniors who said they were headed to Cup Foods to get an auxiliary cord and a Minneapolis firefighter who witnessed the incident while out on a walk.

Genevieve Hansen, the 27-year-old Minneapolis firefighter with state and national EMT certifications, appeared in court in her dress uniform, with a tie and badge on, said, “I was concerned to see a handcuffed man who was not moving with officers with their whole body weight on his back and a crowd that was stressed out.”

Hansen said she recognized Chauvin from a call the day before, but didn’t know Chauvin or interact with him on the call. Hansen said Chauvin “seemed very comfortable with his weight on Mr. Floyd” and had his hand in his pocket.

Hansen said she was immediately concerned about Floyd because “he wasn’t moving” and “his face looked puffy and swollen.” She said she immediately identified herself because she thought Floyd “needed medical attention” and she might be able to help. Hansen said she would have checked for a pulse, called 911, begun chest compressions and had someone bring over an external defibrillator from the gas station to help restart his heart. She’s heard on video begging officers to check Floyd’s pulse. She said, “I could have given medical assistance, and that’s exactly what I should have done. But the officers didn’t let me into the scene.”

On cross examination, lead defense attorney Eric Nelson asked Hansen if the crowd of bystanders was “angry” and “upset” while Floyd was under Chauvin’s knee, building on his earlier suggestions that the crowd was threatening and distracting to officers. Hansen said, “I don’t know if you’ve seen anybody be killed but it’s upsetting.” Nelson tried to impeach her testimony by citing potential errors in the statement she gave to investigators after Floyd’s death. That led to argumentative exchanges between Hansen and Nelson, and prompted Judge Cahill to send the jury out and admonish her to answer the questions without arguing with either Nelson or the court. He told Hansen to return Wednesday morning.

Watch Hansen’s testimony below:

Darnella Frazier, the teenager who recorded the infamous video showing the arrest and death of George Floyd, also testified, saying the incident changed her life. Her cousin, a 9-year-old girl who wore a shirt with the word “love” on it, also testified Tuesday morning.

Frazier told prosecutor Jerry Blackwell that when she looked at Floyd, she saw her Black relatives and friends. “That could’ve been one of them,” she said. “When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles.” She said she has stayed up some nights “apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life.” But, she said, it’s not what I should have done. It’s what he [Chauvin] should have done.”

Frazier, then 17 years old, said she was taking her 9-year-old cousin to Cup Foods when she saw “a man terrified, scared, begging for his life.” Frazier began crying as she described how she checked to see that her young cousin, who also testified Tuesday, was inside the store so that she would be spared the visual of what was happening. However, her cousin exited the store and watched much of the incident.

Frazier’s face was not shown on television because she was a teen at the time.

Watch highlights from the testimony of Frazier, her 9-year-old cousin and one of the high school seniors below:

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