The courthouse where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will be tried has been surrounded with barbed wire and fencing ahead of his trial for the murder of George Floyd.
Chauvin, 44, has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter after he kneeled on George Floyd’s neck last year on May 25. The ex-cop pressed down on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed on the ground and yelling that he could not breathe. There are three other officers involved in the case; according to KTLA, the other officers will go on trial in August.
Floyd’s murder ignited an international outcry, with millions calling for justice and the end of racism and police brutality. According to TMZ, construction crews have been building up barriers to block off potential masses of people who may show up to await the trial results. The barriers will be built around the Hennepin County Courthouse, the Minneapolis City Hall, and the Hennepin County Jail. The blockage consists of concrete walls, non-scalable fencing, and barbed wire.
The city council also hired six social media influencers to help spread “city-approved” messaging during the trial. However, some people feel this is a tactic the city council is using to shell out biased information.
While the city is bulking up security, community members say this entire ordeal is the result of Chauvin’s poor decisions. They are concerned about what may happen if Chauvin is acquitted. Elias Usso’s pharmacy on Lake Street was destroyed after only one year of being open after Chauvin killed Floyd. He called Chauvin’s actions “the murder of an innocent man” He added, “One police officer did that. Something has to change.”
The jury for the trial will be selected on March 8. Opening statements will begin on March 29.
