I agree manslaughter should be the charge.
But his willful disregard for what Floyd was openly pleading makes the “involuntary” part at least questionable. If somebody says they can’t breathe and you continue to do what you are doing, does that constitute intent to kill?
I honestly don’t know. I’m not a lawyer or expert. I think manslaughter fits, but I can see how a good lawyer can make the case for a more serious charge.
People who actually cannot breathe generally lack the air in their lungs necessary to say "I can't breathe".
The "knee hold" Chauvin was using was/is widely used to hold a larger, stronger, or actively resisting person on the ground. If done right, there is almost no pressure on the neck area. There are a couple of ways to do it: (1) The neck area is in the crook of the lower leg / ankle, and they only feel pressure if they try to raise their head, or (2) The knee is actually between the shoulder blades, and pressure is applied to keep them on the ground. Looking at the video, I cannot tell which technique was used. But much like the old lateral vascular restraint (LVR) popularized by LAPD to take down a combative subject, I think the days of using the technique Chauvin used are numbered, if not already over. It is what it is. Unless you've tried to control someone bigger and stronger than you who's hyped up on Meth, Crack, Coke, or whatever, then you have no idea what it's like to be in those shoes. I had a meth head who maybe went a buck-thirty soaking wet break everything in the bathroom of a single-wide trailer...with me. Trust me, it's a humbling experience.
George Floyd's death, while likely inevitable due to his Fentanyl level, is sad. He made bad choices, and in the end he paid the ultimate price for them. That his death occurred either in or at the hands of Derek Chauvin remains a subject of debate. The jury has a tough decision to make. I'm glad I'm not among them. If a guy jumps off a 300 ft cliff, his death is imminent. But if you shoot him halfway down, who is responsible for his death, him or you? In the end, does it really matter?
I've been where Chauvin was. No one died. But I've also called a squad for a guy we were going to arrest for assault, who went into cardiac arrest as a result of excited delirium due to the drugs in his system. Fortunately, he survived. And eventually went to jail. But I look at this case and ask myself what would have happened if our guy had coded out and not made it.
There but for the grace of God go I. So I'm left with trusting the jury to weigh the evidence, and make the right call. I figure it's 50/50 they get it right. I don't know what "right" is.
I'm just glad it's not me on trial.
