Floyd's family legal team: US one of the most hypocritical states anytime

A member of George Floyd family's legal team accused the United States as one of the hypocritical states in the world as the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin officially got underway in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday.

Ahead of the opening statements in the trial, Rev. Al Sharpton, members of George Floyd's family and their legal team knelt in front of a Minneapolis courthouse for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, signifying the duration that Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd's neck.

Speaking in front of the crowd, Sharpton said, "Chauvin's in the courtroom, but America is on trial."

"Today starts a landmark trial that will be a referendum on how far America has come on its quest for equality and justice for all," civil rights attorney Ben Crump said outside the courthouse on Monday.

"It is very common and it's sad. But this country has not been very fair to African Americans over the course of the history of this country. So hopefully this will change some things about what the way policing for African-Americans is done in America," attorney Justin Miller told a China Central Television (CCTV) reporter.

Although Minneapolis agreed to pay 27 million U.S. dollars to settle a lawsuit with his family, Arthur Reed, a member of the legal team casted doubts on the justice of police criminality.

"We want him [Derek Chauvin] to be held criminally account. We have held him economically accountable. We want him held criminally accountable for. Twenty seven million dollars have nothing to do with justice. Twenty seven million dollars just show they are definitely wrong, so we definitely want to him held accountable. We feel like change won't come to police criminality is the same as ordinary citizens," he said.

Chauvin, fired by the Minneapolis Police Department, faces charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in the death of the 46-year-old African-American on May 25 which ignited protests against racism and police brutality across the United States.

Even if the case has gotten huge global attention and generated public outrage, justice seems a long way off for many victims.

Reed lashed out at the U.S. for meddling in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of human rights regardless of its own problems, accusing it as one of the hypocritical countries in the world.

"I think what happens in America is that they seen us all as black bodies to fight for democracy and denial of us here in America. So America is one of the most hypocritical states anytime. They always go into countries, install war, saying that they do it because of human rights violation. And they violate our rights in America every damn day," Reed said.

Moreover, police brutality and racial discrimination have been once again put under the spotlight, with prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell saying the time that Chauvin knelt on Floyd surpassed 9 minutes and 29 seconds in the opening statements.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.

(Source: Reuters)

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