Use-of-force expert: Chauvin used 'pain compliance technique' against George Floyd
During the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin on Wednesday, Jody Stiger, a use-of-force expert, testified that Chauvin used his body weight to pin George Floyd's neck to the ground for more than nine minutes.
Chauvin, 45, is facing murder and manslaughter charges in the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man who died on May 25, 2020, while being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. A bystander recorded the arrest, showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck as Floyd is heard repeatedly saying he can't breathe.
Stiger, a sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department and a witness for the prosecution, testified on Tuesday that Chauvin's use of force was excessive. In Wednesday's testimony, he said Chauvin was pressing down on Floyd with most of his body weight from the time Floyd was pinned to the ground to when paramedics arrived at the scene.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, asked Stiger if images of the arrest showed that Chauvin's knee was actually sometimes on Floyd's shoulder blade area or the base of his neck. Stiger replied that it still looks like Chauvin's knee was near Floyd's neck, but Chauvin's weight could have shifted at times.
Stiger also said that when Floyd was handcuffed and pinned to the ground, Chauvin used a "pain compliance technique" that involves squeezing a suspect's fingers and manipulating their hands; once the suspect complies with orders, the pain is reduced. Chauvin appeared to keep squeezing, despite Floyd no longer resisting, and "then at that point, it's just pain," Stiger said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminder
Speed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Parents of school shooter sentenced to 10-15 years
Speed Read Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents to be convicted in a US mass shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Unlicensed dealers and black market guns
Speed Read 68,000 illegally trafficked guns were sold in a five year period, said ATF
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for fraud
Speed Read Former "crypto king" Sam Bankman-Fried will report to federal prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Goon Squad' cops sentenced for torturing 2 Black men
Speed Read The former Mississippi law enforcement officers pleaded guilty last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Michigan shooter's dad guilty of manslaughter
speed read James Crumbley failed to prevent his son from killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Shooting at Chiefs victory rally kills 1, injures 21
Speed Read Gunfire broke out at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade in Missouri
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published