Maybe it was from watching western’s, or maybe it was something seen on all the shows featuring law enforcement that flood television viewing, or maybe it was an MMA move he saw? However, he performed and improvised the move, the chief of police, training staff and those from Minneapolis Police department (MPD) hierarchy have vehemently testified it was not in policy. The “knee-move” that is.
Being a police officer is tough. It is fraught with all types of life decisions that officers must make. Confronting and apprehending individuals is part of their job but the reality is some can irritate the officer by their behavior. Or, another way to look at it is some just “get in the officer’s goat or their craw.” The result can be retaliation by the officer and as in the case of George Floyd, death. After all, they too are humans and just trying to do their job.
Unfortunately that is not the issue in this trial. Floyd’s background is not the issue, although some will attempt to massage it into the case as some sort of justification or explanation of Chauvin’s actions.
left foot adjusted to control leverage
It is hard to explain why Chauvin used his “knee-move” on Floyd’s neck? Floyd and bystanders pleaded for him to remove it so that he could breathe. No doubt from the time officers arrived on the call and confronted Floyd it took time from exiting his car to the MPD cruiser, then to the front of the SUV where Chauvin’s knee went into action. Chauvin felt he had enough and the motion was set for him to teach Floyd a lesson. To him, it appeared he did not care who was watching him or what MPD policy was. He had a special tactic and felt it was the perfect time to execute the move. Now whether he meant to kill Floyd is another issue but the facts are clear, he kept his knee on the neck position much longer than necessary.
Other’s will have their own explanation but from what has been presented it is clear George Floyd got in Derek Chauvin’s goat or craw and he decided the time was right to teach him a lesson. The question remains where in his nineteen years on the force did he learn the move?
Thomas Reports 