MINNEAPOLIS — Testimony ended Monday in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating the civil rights of George Floyd as Derek Chauvin killed him.
J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with failing to provide Floyd with medical care as Chauvin knelt on the Houston native's neck for more than nine minutes.
Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Jan. 20.
"For second after second, minute after minute, these three, CPR-trained defendants, stood or knelt next to officer Chauvin as he slowly killed George Floyd right in front of them," U.S. Attorney Samantha Trepel said when the trial began. "They chose not to protect George Floyd — the man they had handcuffed and placed in their custody,"
MORE COVERAGE: The death of George Floyd
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges in December 2021. He is serving 22 years after being convicted of Floyd's murder.
Lane, the last officer to take the stand, testified that he didn’t realize how dire Floyd’s condition was until paramedics turned him over. He said that was the first time he'd seen Floyd’s face since police had put the handcuffed Black man facedown on the ground while struggling to arrest him.
Before that, as Lane held Floyd’s legs, he said he thought he saw the 46-year-old Floyd’s chest rise and fall.
Lane’s co-defendants presented their cases last week.
Attorneys for the defendants placed the blame on Chauvin, inexperience and lack of proper training provided by Minneapolis police, saying their clients did not willfully deprive Floyd of his civil rights.
Closing arguments are Tuesday.