Lieutenant: Officers should have intervened in Floyd killing

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The head of the Minneapolis Police Department’s homicide unit says three former officers on trial for violating George Floyd’s civil rights should have intervened to stop fellow Officer Derek Chauvin when he had his knee on the Black man’s neck. Lt. Richard Zimmerman testified at the federal trial for former Officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. He said the duty can also mean intervening to begin first aid if another officer fails give it, and that it can mean moving an officer out of the way if necessary. Asked what Chauvin was doing that was significant to him, Zimmerman replied: “The knee on the neck — the officers should have intervened at that point and stopped it. … It can be deadly.”