Jury in Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Set to Hear Closing Arguments

Attorneys in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd will make their final case to the jury on Monday, as the Twin Cities region prepares for the possibility of widespread unrest following a verdict in the case.

Closing arguments in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin come after nearly three weeks of testimony in which prosecutors have attempted to prove that the former police officer acted recklessly when he knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes, killing him. The defense has countered that Mr. Chauvin was reasonably restraining Mr. Floyd when he died of a sudden heart attack fueled by clogged arteries and drugs.

Mr. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to charges of second- and third-degree murder and manslaughter. After the closing arguments, the judge will issue instructions to the jury, and the jurors will remain sequestered until they reach a verdict or become deadlocked and can’t.

Viral video of Mr. Floyd’s death triggered a summer of unrest last year in Minneapolis and across the country. State and city leaders have been working for months on a plan to prevent another wave of unrest, calling on National Guard troops and thousands of officers from across the state of Minnesota. Concerns over violence grew last week after a police officer in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center killed 21-year-old Daunte Wright when she appeared to mistake her gun for a Taser, setting off some looting of stores and several nights of protests.

Many businesses throughout the city have boarded up their windows. Minneapolis schools are closed to in-person learning Wednesday through Friday in anticipation of the verdict.