MINNEAPOLIS — The international interest in the trial of Derek Chauvin was again confirmed Monday, as media crews from all over the world descended upon downtown Minneapolis.
Accents and other languages abounded amid those reporting the latest developments involving the former Minneapolis Police Officer charged in the death of George Floyd. And that wasn’t a coincidence, some reporters said, given how this case may have reverberations around the world.
“There is an officer who’s being put on trial. And there’s an outcry for justice. So it’s a major topic here in the U.S. but also in Germany, of course,” said Steffen Schwarzkopf with Welt German TV.
Schwarzkopf noted that the German audience has followed the case since Floyd’s death in May 2020.
“Ever since May 25th, people are watching very closely. The protests, the riots, the looting. But also what happened afterward, and the expectations are extremely high,” he said.
And along with that close examination, comes an opportunity for extensive legal analysis. That’s why the Law and Crime Network plans to follow the trial at every step.
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“This is what we do, we stream live trials. So this is kind of like our bread and butter. And it’s a very important case,” said Angenette Levy, adding that its importance also relates to how it could shed light on the ongoing debate regarding appropriate “use of force.”
“We’ve seen police officers convicted, but sometimes it can be difficult for juries to bring themselves to do that, to find a police officer guilty, especially with all the legal issues you have to [consider] with how police can use force. And the latitude they’re given by the courts. So I think it’s a really complex issue, and it’s something that’s been building in our country for a really long time,” Levy concluded.
But within the diverse analysis, accents and perspectives, media crews universally acknowledged the passions surrounding the case.
“How many emotions are involved. So people are really standing up for something, and that’s really impressive,” Schwarzkopf said.