Derek Chauvin’s mind ‘littered with what ifs’: He wasn’t meant to work day he killed George Floyd, lawyer says

‘His brain is littered with ‘what ifs’ defense lawyer Eric Nelson said of Derek Chauvin

Derek Chauvin’s defense lawyer Eric Nelson has said his client was “not even scheduled to work” on 25 May 2020, the day that Chauvin killed George Floyd during an arrest.

Speaking before Chauvin’s sentencing, Mr Nelson said his client’s mind was filled with “what ifs” in the wake of Mr Floyd’s murder.

“I know from numerous conversations that I’ve had with Derek that his brain is littered with ‘what ifs’. ‘What if I had just not agreed to go in that day? What if things had gone differently? What if I had never responded to that call?” Mr Nelson said on Friday. “What if, what if, what if?”

Mr Nelson highlighted that Chauvin, who was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in April, is “not coming into this as a career criminal”.

Noting that Chauvin was a decorated police officer, Mr Nelson said his client liked “to help people” and “loved being a police officer”.

Mr Nelson also acknowledged during his comments that “the impact this case has had on this community is profound”.

“It goes far beyond what happened on May 25 last year,” he said.

Chauvin himself broke his silence at the hearing, offering his condolences to the Floyd family, before asserting that he has information that might give them “peace of mind”.

“I want to give my condolences to the Floyd family,” he said.

“There is going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest and I hope that things will give you some peace of mind,” he added, though it was unclear what Chauvin was referring to.

The court also heard from Mr Floyd’s loved ones, with his 7-year-old daughter, Gianna Floyd, describing how she misses playing with her father and spending time with him.

“We used to have dinner every single night before we went to bed. My daddy always used to help me brush my teeth,” she said.

The 7-year-old said she knew that “mean people” had done something to her father.

If she could talk to him again, Gianna said she would tell her dad: “I miss you and I love you.”