Public support builds for Derek Chauvin appeal after 50 cops say Minneapolis Police Dept lied in court about knee restraint

A filing made by the defense attorneys of Derek Chauvin has made allegations that there was prosecutorial misconduct and has gone viral, with many calling for an appeal in the case of Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd.

Over 50 current and former police officers have now countered the testimony of Minnesota Police Department (MPD) Inspector Katie Blackwell made during the trial, who said the restraint used by Chauvin was not standard practice at the MPD. 

The petition, which argues to vacate the conviction or appeal the case, gives the prosecution in Chauvin's case 45 days to respond, alleged that the state attorneys going after Chauvin relied on "video and still frames" to tell "a single story," painting Chauvin as a killer. 

According to the petition, over 50 current and former police officers also countered the testimony of MPD Inspector Blackwell, who said in the trial that the restraint Chauvin used during the encounter with Floyd was not standard procedure for the police department. 

The petition said that there were multiple examples of misconduct, including statements from "expert witnesses" that testified for the state. One was from pulmonologist Dr. Martin Tobin. Tobin, who did not perform an autopsy on Floyd, stated at trial, "The pressure applied to Floyd was 'like the left side is in a vice (sic). It’s totally being pushed in, squeezed in from each side, from the street at the bottom, and then from the way that the handcuffs are being manipulated.'" 

The state returned to this statement during closing arguments, which the petition argued "constitute[d] misconduct." Those statements were referred to repeatedly by the state. However, unlike the Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker, Tobin never performed an autopsy on Floyd. Baker, who did not see the video of Floyd before performing the autopsy, concluded that Floyd's death was not caused by asphyxiation, but by cardiac arrest. 

In response to a quote from Chauvin's lawyer that the prosecution "can only run from the truth for so long," Elon Musk replied "true."

Musk also shared a video of Charlie Kirk, posted by Jack Posobiec, where Kirk came to the defense of Chauvin, and said that Floyd did not die because of the police, but "largely because of a drug overdose." 

Tommy Robinson responded, "Chauvin was sacrificed on the altar of the woke mob, and still they rioted and looted. The whole world saw he did nothing wrong. Even the autopsy details show he did nothing wrong. Free this man. Pardon him. Never give the mob an inch or they'll take a mile!"

Tim Pool shared the post, and responded, "This poor f*cking guy #freederekchauvin."

Jack Posobiec asked, "Do you believe Derek Chauvin deserves a new trial now that 50 officers say the police dept lied in court about knee restraints?," requesting email responses.