Chauvin’s trial update: Police trainer testifies in trial of George Floyd’s death

Jurors in the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin heard from another police witness about training to deal with crisis situations on Tuesday.

The first witness of the day, Sergeant Ker Yang, was a crisis intervention training coordinator with the Minneapolis Police Department.

Yang testified that Chauvin completed 40 hours of training in how to deal with suspects who are going through a crisis. According to Yang, police are trained in crisis intervention incidents to use principles such as neutrality, respect and trust, and how to spot and interact with suspects who are going through a crisis.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, however, had told the jury on Monday that Chauvin’s training required him to stop the restraint and provide first-aid treatment while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

“I vehemently disagree that that was an appropriate use of force for that situation on May 25,” Arradondo testified on Monday.

Yang’s statement contradicts that of Arradondo.

Derek Chauvin is charged with murder in the deadly arrest of George Floyd.

Chauvin, a white male former officer pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter and murder charge. He argued that he followed police training when he kept his knee pushed into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, as the handcuffed 46-year-old Black man fell limp and stopped breathing.

The incident prompted protests in many cities around the United States and internationally against racism and police brutality.