Leid Stories - 04.05.21

Week 2 in the trial of Minneapolis ex-cop Derek Chauvin begins today, with more testimony about the key role he had in the May 25, 2020 death of local resident George Floyd.

Derek, a 19-year veteran of the metropolitan police department, led a four-man squad assigned to investigate a complaint that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for a purchase at a convenience store. Floyd was to be arrested at the scene and taken in for further questioning.

Bystander and cop-cam videos showed Floyd loudly protesting his innocence while handcuffed and prone on the street with his hands behind his back. Videos also showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Floyd had no pulse when an ambulance arrived to take him to a hospital.

As the trial enters its second week, Leid Stories listeners offer their opinions on key issues in trial and what they expect of both prosecution and defense as it continues.