Chauvin Defense Lawyer Blames George Floyd’s Death on Bystanders: They Caused Officers to ‘Divert Their Attention’

Eric Nelson, the defense attorney for Derek Chauvin, blamed bystanders for distracting officers from properly caring for George Floyd as Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground and knelt on his neck, as Chauvin’s trial got underway Monday.

In his opening statement, Nelson implied that bystanders, who were pleading for Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd’s neck as Floyd himself said he couldn’t breathe, were at least in part to blame for Floyd’s death.

“As the crowd grew in size, seemingly so too did their anger,” Nelson said. “Remember, there is more to the scene than just what the officers see in front of them. There are people behind them and across the street. There are cars stopping, people yelling. There are — there is a growing crowd and what officers perceived to be a threat. They are called names.”

“They’re screaming at them,” Nelson continued. “Causing the officers to divert their attention from the care of Mr. Floyd to the threat that was growing in front of them.”

Chauvin is facing murder and manslaughter charges in the death of Floyd. Bystander video captured Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes in late May of 2020. Floyd’s death in police custody set off protests and demonstrations worldwide.