Jury selection to begin for officer charged in George Floyd's death

 

we're just a week away from the start of jury selection

in the murder trial of a Minneapolis

police officer blamed for the death of

George Floyd

the twin cities have been on edge since

that death and the tension is rising

once again

senior correspondent mike Tobin shows us tonight

the defense for former Minneapolis

police officer Derek chevin hinted they

will argue that drugs

killed George Floyd in a brief filed

Friday they cited the autopsy claiming

fentanyl was present at 11 nanograms per

milliliter

higher than chronic pain patients if Mr

Floyd had been found dead at home

and no other apparent causes this would

be acceptable to call an

overdose the brief was part of an appeal

brought by the prosecution asking to

reapply a third-degree murder charge

ahead of the trial

this is our only chance today to

reinstate that third-degree murder

charge we can't fix it

later on, appeal Derek chevin is facing

second-degree murder and manslaughter

charges

the third-degree charge was dropped in

October

meantime barricades and razor wire

surround the Hennepin county courthouse

where jury selection for the first trial

following George Floyd's death

will start next week a security plan called

operation safety net will involve

national guard and multiple police

agencies

plans to protect critical infrastructure

and police precincts

and secure fire crews if the city burns again

council members are critical too many

city leaders

think that the most grown-up response to

a problem is

always with force and always to begin by

sending people with guns

one plan was ditched in the face of

public blowback in the appearance of

propaganda

that was to pay social media influencers

to combat misinformation

and distribute messages from the city

this was never about trying to persuade

or change public opinion

about any particular message police

chief Madaria Arredondo says there is no

specific information about plans for

violence following the trial

this time around he says the city has

had time to prepare

brett back to you mike Tobin in Chicago

mike thanks