Chauvin trial lawyers deliver final messages to jury before deliberations
The jury began deliberations en route to reaching a verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday. They'll take into account two weeks' worth of witness and expert testimony about the arrest and death of George Floyd, as well as Monday's closing arguments from the defense and the prosecution.
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher kicked off the final stretch, telling the jury to "believe your own eyes," referring to bystander videos, which showed Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.
Then, over the course of two-plus hours, defense lawyer Eric Nelson focused on whether there's any reasonable doubt as to what caused Floyd's death, citing the possibility that substances found in his system and heart issues may have been the culprit. He also argued Chauvin acted reasonably and within the grounds of his training.
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Finally, prosecutor Jerry Blackwell issued his rebuttal to Nelson, noting that his team was not required to prove that Chauvin's actions were the sole cause of Floyd's death, only that they were a substantial factor. And with his parting words, he rejected the theory that Floyd died because of an enlarged heart. Tim O'Donnell
