I don’t like the amount of power cops have. I have issues with ‘qualified immunity.’
But Chauvin didn’t cause Floyd’s death; Floyd was having problems breathing BEFORE he was restrained.
As for the restraint, video shows Chauvin’s knee was on his back and shoulders, not his neck. Chauvin and his fellow cops were dealing with a potentially hostile crowd and Floyd wasn’t cooperating. They needed Floyd restrained while they kept an eye on the local wildlife and waited for the paramedics that they called in response to Floyd’s distress that was happening BEFORE he was restrained under Chauvin’s knee. Oh, and the prosecution’s Expert Witness? He was forced to admit that he did that way, too.
Floyd was dead no matter what. If he had sat quietly in the back of the cop car he would died. If the cops let him wander away, he would have died. If the ambulance had gotten their earlier, Chauvin would have still been DOA.
No matter how bad it looks, Chauvin and his comrades did their best in a crappy situation. Floyd died because he swallowed his inventory of the drugs he dealt. Chauvin doesn’t deserve prison and the world is better place for being rid of Floyd.
Agree with your post except that the cops did their best. All rookies except Chauvin. Should have gotten Ambulance sooner and gone directly to hospital.