Full jury seated in the murder trial of former officer for George Floyd’s death

Along with three alternates, the last member of a full jury of 12, was seated on Tuesday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer facing murder charges in the arrest and death of George Floyd last year.

According to court records, six white women, two white men, three black men, one black woman, and two multiracial women are the twelve jurors and two alternates who have been seated since the trial which began two weeks ago.

A third alternate was seated on Tuesday, a white man who said he worked as an accountant.

Chauvin, 45, said that he was following police training during the deadly arrest of Floyd on May 25, 2020, and pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

To weigh impartiality among jurors, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill and the lawyers in the case have questioned dozens of potential jurors in court in the last two weeks. Chauvin, wearing a suit and tie, has taken extensive notes on a yellow legal pad throughout the proceedings.

All of those interviewed said they were aware of the video showing a white man Chauvin, with his knee on the neck of Floyd as the 46-year-old Black man begged for his life. Almost all said they had seen at least some of the footage, which sparked protests across the world against police brutality and racism.

For the duration of the trial taking place in a tower in downtown Minneapolis, the court has promised to preserve jurors’ anonymity. The place of the trail is ringed by concrete barriers and barbed wire and patrolled by soldiers from the state’s National Guard.

Opening arguments are due to begin on Monday.