Posted on 04/07/2021 8:06:55 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Derek Chauvin’s lawyers found a “speedball” pill with George Floyd’s DNA in the ex-cop’s Minneapolis squad car — months after it was seized and searched by police, testimony at Chauvin’s murder trial revealed Wednesday.
Minnesota forensics scientists said the pill contained traces of fentanyl and methamphetamine when it was tested at the request of Chauvin’s defense team, which found it during a fresh search of the squad car in January.
The car had been sealed since police first searched it on May 27 — two days after Floyd’s police custody death — and with the items inside photographed but not tested.
“At the time, again, I didn’t have any information that I was looking for anything like a pill, or resembling a pill,” McKenzie Anderson, a forensics scientist with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said under questioning by prosecutor Matthew Frank.
“It was in the back seat of the squad car. I wasn’t sure what it was,” she said. “So, at the time I didn’t give it any forensics significance.”
But Anderson said the pill was among several “irregular-shaped” items that appeared to be chewed-up pills found in the back seat of police vehicle 320 — Chauvin’s vehicle.
The state’s lead investigator, James Reyerson, testified earlier on Wednesday that law enforcement officials were present at the time defense lawyers re-opened the vehicle.
“The defense would not have access if you weren’t there,” Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson noted while questioning Reyerson.
Both the police vehicle and Floyd’s Mercedes Benz SUV were seized, searched, and photographed two days after the deadly incident.
Both were kept sealed and locked up at a secure state location.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The legal system already knew the verdict by then. Why bother to actually investigate?
I've never done either of those drugs... but man that's a terrible idea. I guess the idea is, you're a smack junkie but you don't want to just lay around all day so take some speed. There's got to be a better way out of the hole though.
It was SOP in the 70’s for officers to pull up the back seat after a prisoner was removed from the squad to look for stashed items.
sure they did
Try reading the article.
What I find amazing is how the defense’s lawyers were able to smuggle into that car pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and Floyd’s saliva. Man, those guys are good.
doing porn films is a bad idea
he was doing this as well, or had in the near past
Modern seats are featureless, very uncomfortable, and look like they’re designed to be easily hosed out.
You don't suppose he knew Hunter Biden?
It’s interesting (and predictable) that linked New York Post article failed to mention that the fentanyl, meth and other drugs found in the car also contained George Floyd’s saliva and DNA.
It has been sop for officers forever. When you find that eight ball in the back seat, how can you accuse the current prisoner if you haven’t done your job?
Monetary settlements used to be based upon the potential earnings for the remainder of the victim’s life. Guess he was a bigger bread winner than I thought.
Now it is common to replace the factory seat with solid hard plastic seats for that reason.
This is from a professional "forensics scientist"! What exactly was she expecting to find? What the hell would it take for her to think, "Hey, this might be something"? Was she expecting a suicide note from Floyd? A video taped confession from Chauvin? This is akin to ignoring a bloody knife at a murder scene.
They’re going to find him guilty, because he had his knee on him for so long.
Unknown object possibly a chewed up pill, that in the back seat of a squad car that had someone in the back seat at one point who died and you don't think it has any forensic value?
Who hires these idiots? Anything in the back seat not part of the factory components or aftermarket seats, cage, etc. should be questioned.
You beat me to it. My only forensics experience was a class in HS where we learned the basics about fingerprints, ballistics, blood splatter, what to look for in terms of evidence, how to document things, etc.
We “investigated” a mock arson and actually has State PD investigators assist. Once of the thing they stressed was to treat ANYTHING out of place or strange as possible evidence and to document it, collect it, test it, etc. It may be noting but that one thing you ignore could be the missing piece to solve the crime. He would rated have extra useless pieces of evidence in his case then ignore that one critical cue.
True, but this seems to be the SOP for large urban police departments.
George, don't forget to say 'I can't breathe.' once the cameras are rolling!
But, Ms.Anderson said, they didn't know what it meant so she didn't give it any forensics significance, and her friend on the City Council confirmed it was irrelevant.
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