Barry Brodd, a former police officer, justified the pinning of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin saying that "it's easy to sit and judge ... an officer's conduct." Brodd gave the statement while testifying on behalf of the former cop during the murder trial.
On Memorial Day, Floyd was handcuffed and restrained by four Minneapolis police officers led by Derek Chauvin for an alleged $20 forgery. Chauvin pushed Floyd down on the road and pinned him down by placing his knee over Floyd's neck. Despite the victim shouting that he was not able to breathe, Chauvin did not move his knee for exactly 8.46 minutes, causing Floyd's death due to asphyxiation.
Brodd Admits To Restrain Causing Pain
Brodd, who is also a use-of-force expert, defended Chauvin for pinning down the victim as Floyd kept struggling. "It's easy to sit and judge ... an officer's conduct. It's more of a challenge to, again, put yourself in the officer's shoes to try to make an evaluation through what they're feeling, what they're sensing, the fear they have, and then make a determination," said Brodd during the trial.
Following the huge outcry over Floyd's murder, which also sparked the Black Lives Matter protests, the former Minneapolis police officer was charged with two counts of murder and one of manslaughter.
However, later during the cross examination by prosecutor Steve Schleicher, the former cop admitted that restraint could produce pain and therefore be a use of force that is against Minneapolis Police Department policy.
Minneapolis Cop Says Chauvin's Act Was Against Training
According to Independent, earlier, Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman, the longest serving officer on the Minneapolis force, had said that kneeling on someone's body constitutes deadly force and breaks with Minneapolis police training. Replying to the question if the move was justified during Floyd's arrest, Zimmerman had said that it was totally unnecessary.
"First of all, pulling him down to the ground face-down and putting your knee on a neck for that amount of time is just uncalled for. I saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger, if that's what they felt, and that's what they would have to have felt to use that kind of force. That would be the top tier: the deadly force ... because of the fact that if your knee is on somebody's neck, that could kill him," he added.
Brodd's comment also drew varied reactions on social media. "Barry Brodd, use of force "expert" for the defense, is nothing but a shameful hack. I truly hope the $11k he was paid was worth his reputation being shredded to bits by Steve Schleicher. Everything he initially testified, he totally contradicted under cross examination," wrote a user.
"Man oh man did I enjoy Barry Brodd's testimony being ripped apart and exposed in cross examination. I hope this man never works in the field again because he's either highly incompetent or a soulless vampire. Not a good day for the defense," wrote another.
