Witness says officer’s knee was on George Floyd’s neck while he was on ground

A protester holds a sign across the street from National Guard soldiers guarding the Hennepin County Government Centre, the trial venue (Jim Mone/AP)

Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck and was bearing down with most of his weight the entire time Mr Floyd lay face down with his hands cuffed behind his back, a use-of-force expert said at Chauvin’s murder trial.

Jody Stiger, a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant serving as a prosecution witness, said that based on his review of video evidence, Chauvin’s knee was on Mr Floyd’s neck from the time officers put Mr Floyd on the ground until paramedics arrived, about 9 1/2 minutes, by prosecutors’ reckoning.