MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer serving 21 years for the death of George Floyd, has described his trail as a ‘sham’ in his first media appearance since the sentencing.
The officer made the remarks during an interview for a new documentary titled 'The Fall of Minneapolis', which aims to shed light on the circumstances leading up to the 2020 George Floyd riots and the murder trial against him.
The crowdfunded documentary is produced by journalist Liz Collin to highlight what she portrays as a global rush to judgment in the case, driven by Democratic politicians, which ultimately resulted in the proliferation of criminals across the US.
'The Fall of Minneapolis' lends credence to the theory that Floyd's autopsy, which initially found no evidence of asphyxiation, was altered by the FBI to indicate Chauvin killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck.
It also features other Minneapolis police officers who all assert that when Chauvin restrained Floyd, he was acting in accordance with his training, and accuses the prosecution of stifling evidence that may have cleared Chauvin.
What did Derek Chauvin say about his trial?
In his phone interview with Collin, Chauvin branded the trial and his sentencing are a 'sham', and blamed the slow response by emergency medics for Floyd's death.
Chauvin asserted that the time it took for the ambulance to get to the scene was “not normal”. At the time of Floyd’s death, EMTs took 20 minutes to arrive, despite there being an ambulance bay just eight blocks away, according to Daily Mail.
During the interview, he made multiple references to the fact that he and other cops had been trained in MRT - Maximal Restraint Technique.
"The EMS and Minneapolis Fire response was not normal. Normally both of those resources are sent, they arrive in short time," Chauvin said in the film, adding, "In this case, Minneapolis Fire took 20 minutes plus to arrive, and their station is eight blocks away."
"At the end of the day, the whole trial, including sentencing, was a sham,” Chauvin continued according to the Messenger.
'The Fall of Minneapolis' features over a dozen interviews with law enforcement officials from Minneapolis and individuals closely associated with the case, including Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis cop who entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting homicide for his part in Floyd's death.
For his part, Kueng urged viewers to watch the documentary, saying, "Prison is a very unique experience, one I never thought I'd see myself in.”
“This isn't the end and this won't define me. What's been done is done and I just hope that at the very least in the future people keep an open mind and not let instances like this happen,” he added, as per Daily Mail.
Kueng also added that his case is “an example as to not jump the gun knee jerk, not fall to this race-bait, to the social media, to the media, and let them get away with what they do if things like this keep happening, no one anywhere is going to have any sense of justice left.”
Internet reacts to Derek Chauvin’s remarks
Chauvin’s remarks have garnered immense social media attention, with one user saying “he was falsely convicted on social media before he ever stepped foot into a courtroom.”
“Chauvin is correct. Too bad we have a gutless Supreme Court,” the second user wrote. “His trial was a scam! The autopsy proved he did not murder Floyd! He should be released and given a HUGE payday!” the third fumed.
“Every aspect of this case has to be thoroughly checked to seek out the truth about what happened,” the fourth user asserted with the fifth stating, “Sad and tragic.”
“Chauvins comments and allegations add complexity to the ongoing trial,” one more stated.
