'World is watching': Family of George Floyd speak ahead of Chauvin murder trial

A lawyer representing George Floyd's family has said the "whole world is watching" as a former Minneapolis police officer goes on trial over his death.

The jury is expected to be shown the bystander video that caught Derek Chauvin’s knee on Mr Floyd’s neck early on in the trial, which sparked outrage and protests across the globe.

The family and legal team of Mr Floyd took the knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds - the amount of time Chauvin held his knee to Mr Floyd's neck - along with others who were present ahead of the opening of the trial.

One of the lawyers representing the family, Ben Crump, said the "whole world is watching."

• Watch George Floyd's family speak ahead of the opening of the trial

He said the trial would "provide evidence" of whether American's believe in the Declaration of Independence.

Quoting the document he said: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator, with certain inalienable rights, that amongst them are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness - well America that means black people too. That means George Floyd."

He added: "We know that if George Floyd was a white American citizen, and he suffered this painful, tortuous death with a police officer’s knee on his neck, nobody, nobody, would be saying this is a hard case."

Speaking ahead of the trial Brandon Williams, Mr Floyd's nephew said: "We can't get Geoge Floyd back but what we can do is make sure that no family feels this pain and suffering that we feel."

Mr Floyd's brother, Terrence, said he still watches the video of his brother's last moments just to hear him speak for the last time.

He compared the situation to how others may listen to old voicemails of their lost loved ones, he watches the video because "that was the last time I could hear his voice". Mr Crump said he expected the defence to attack Mr Floyd's character but noted it was Chavin who was on trial, not Mr Floyd.

Prosecutors have not said when they will play the video, but legal experts expect it to be early in the trial – maybe even in the prosecution’s opening statement – as they seek to remind jurors of what is at the heart of their case.

“If you’re a prosecutor you want to start off strong. You want to frame the argument – and nothing frames the argument in this case as much as that video,” said Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor and managing director of the Berkeley Research Group in Chicago.

Mr Floyd was declared dead after Chauvin pressed his knee against Mr Floyd’s neck. He held his position even as Mr Floyd’s “I can’t breathe” cries faded and he went limp as he was handcuffed and lying on his stomach.

Chauvin is charged with unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Almost all of the jurors selected during more than two weeks of questioning said they had seen at least parts of the video, and several acknowledged it gave them at least a somewhat negative view of Chauvin. But they said they could set that aside.

The trial is expected to last about four weeks at the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, which has been fortified with concrete barriers, fencing, and barbed wire.

City and state leaders are determined to prevent a repeat of damaging riots that followed Mr Floyd’s death and National Guard troops have already been mobilised.

The key questions at the trial will be whether Chauvin caused Mr Floyd’s death and whether his actions were reasonable.

For the unintentional second-degree murder charge, prosecutors have to prove Chauvin’s conduct was a “substantial causal factor” in Mr Floyd’s death, and that Chauvin was committing felony assault at the time.

For third-degree murder, they must prove that Chauvin’s actions caused Mr Floyd’s death, and were reckless and without regard for human life. The manslaughter charge requires proof that Chauvin caused Mr Floyd’s death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk.

After jury instructions, prosecutors will begin with their opening statement, providing a road map of their case and telling jurors what they can expect to see at the trial, said Mike Brandt, a local defence lawyer who is watching the case closely.

They will outline what is to come, highlighting key witnesses.

Chauvin’s defence lawyer, Eric Nelson, will probably use his opening statement to push back on what prosecutors say, and tell jurors that medical testimony and use of force experts will show a different view.

Fifteen jurors will appear in court on Monday when the case starts, but Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said the 15th was chosen simply to ensure that 14 would be in place once the trial begins. He is expected to dismiss that person immediately.

Jury selection took more than two weeks, as jurors were questioned individually about their views on police, racial justice issues and pre-trial publicity in the case.