Often things are not as simple as we would like. But in the case of the death of George Floyd, it’s about as simple as you can get. Anyone who watches the video of his death and thinks “I need more information” is, in my considered opinion, an idiot. Officer Derek Chauvin stone-cold murdered Floyd. There was nothing ambiguous about what was causing him to die right before our eyes. There isn’t any way to theorize that Chauvin simply wasn’t aware of the distress Floyd was in. And there wasn’t any reason to restrain Floyd in this way in the first place since he was handcuffed behind his back.
The defense in the Chauvin murder trial seems extremely weak. No surprise there. I mean what do they have to work with? Floyd was a drug user? That he was a big guy? That he was the suspect in a non-violent crime? Not one of these things matter. The man was handcuffed behind is back and lying prone on the ground. Nothing that followed this situation was necessary. Nothing prior to it justifies the subsequent events in any way. He could have been fresh from a maniacal shooting spree. Once he was cuffed there was no earthy reason for him to be restrained in such a life-threatening fashion.
If Derek Chauvin walks away without a conviction it will be just one more indication of America’s profound race problems. If that happens it will be because one white juror feels uncomfortable seeing a white man’s life ruined on account of a black man’s death–in the same way it just doesn’t feel right to some of us when we see a woman acting like a leader. But I think he will be convicted. The case against him is so strong and his defense so weak. He can’t possibly walk, can he?