Analysts on CNN reacted with shock on Tuesday at the first witnesses called by attorneys for former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering George Floyd in 2020.
CNN's Laura Coates spoke out following the testimony of Michelle Moseng, a former paramedic who treated Floyd in 2019. Earlier in the morning, former officer Scott Creighton testified about Floyd's unrelated drug arrest in 2019.
"What is this?" Coates asked during a break in the trial. "That's my reaction. Is this the best that you have for what happened over the last two weeks? You've got your first witness who says that George Floyd was compliant. He's a former officer who actually had an encounter with George Floyd."
"You have a paramedic who says that his heart was normal, his respiratory system was normal, his EKG was normal," she continued. "All of this so far has actually corroborated the prosecution's case. So I'm wondering, is there a point you're going to defend Derek Chauvin or are we going to have a regurgitation of what the jury has already seen, which is very compelling evidence that George Floyd was the victim and the decedent in this case, not an aggressor and not a drug overdose victim?"
Former Police Chief Charles Ramsey agreed with Coates.
"I don't know if it's going to improve," he said. "If it doesn't then this is not going to last very long in terms of the defense presentation. But you've had two witnesses now that really didn't contribute anything and condradict what the prosecution has put on. And they're talking about past events that have absolutely nothing to do with May 25th of last year."
"I don't get it," Ramsey added. "If I was the defendant, I would be a little nervous right now."
