The ongoing trial of a former Minnesota police officer charged in the death of George Floyd last year has the attention of people here in Floyd's birthplace of Fayetteville.
Floyd, 46, a Black man, died May 25, 2020, while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prosecutors alleged in opening statements Monday that Officer Derek Chauvin killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes; more than two minutes of which Floyd was unresponsive as a crowd filming the arrest pleaded with police to check his pulse. Three other officers have also been charged in Floyd's death. Their trials are set for August.