Jury deliberates on three police charged with violating George Floyd’s rights

Jurors have started deliberating in the federal trial of three fired Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights.

Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with depriving Mr Floyd of his right to medical care when another officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee into Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as the 46-year-old black man pleaded for air before going silent.

Kueng and Thao are also charged with failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the May 25 2020 killing that was captured on bystander video and triggered protests worldwide and a re-examination of racism and policing.

Deliberations began after a month-long trial in which prosecutors sought to show that the officers violated their training, including when they failed to roll Mr Floyd on to his side or give him CPR.

Prosecutors have argued that Mr Floyd’s condition was so serious that even bystanders without basic medical training could see he needed help.

The defence said the officers were too inexperienced, were not trained properly and did not wilfully violate Mr Floyd’s rights.