Derek Chauvin Trial: Opening Statements Centre On Cause Of George Floyd’s Death

<div id="56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439" style="position:relative; width: 100%; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 56.25%; background: url('https://img.vidible.tv/prod/2021-03/29/6061f12a49e413767dbea91f/6061f182085fb03bab990318_o_U_v1.png') center/cover;" data-placeholder="//img.vidible.tv/prod/2021-03/29/6061f12a49e413767dbea91f/6061f182085fb03bab990318_o_U_v1.png?w=1600&amp;h=900&amp;q=60"><div class="vdb_player vdb_56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c943956be00124076e70ee4171d93" vdb_params="m.embeded=cms_video_plugin_uk.edit.huffpost.net&amp;m.loadingplaceholder=1&amp;m.fwkeyvalues=sponsorship%3DSPONSORSHIP_NAME&amp;m.fwsitesection=composer" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;"><script type="text/javascript" src="https://delivery.vidible.tv/jsonp/pid=56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439/vid=6061f12a49e413767dbea91f/56be00124076e70ee4171d93.js?m.embeded=cms_video_plugin_uk.edit.huffpost.net&amp;m.loadingplaceholder=1"></script></div></div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>The closely watched <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/derek-chauvin-update-trial-details-george-floyd-killing_n_605b45fec5b65d1c28117f34" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trial of Derek Chauvin</a>, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd&rsquo;s death, entered a key phase Monday as the prosecution and defence delivered their opening statements and the first witnesses were called to testify.</p><p>Both sides focused on the cause of Floyd&rsquo;s death in their opening arguments, taking vastly different positions on the matter. In his roughly one-hour opening remarks, attorney Jerry Blackwell,&nbsp;who is assisting with the state of Minnesota&rsquo;s prosecution, dismissed a claim pushed by the defence that drugs