Opening statements are underway in the trial of Derek Chauvin.
The former Minneapolis police officer is currently on trial, accused of killing George Floyd last May. Chauvin is charged with second degree and third degree murder for kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as he pleaded for his life and ultimately stopped breathing.
An attorney for the family of George Floyd says the trial of Floyd's accused killer is a referendum on the United States. Benjamin Crump spoke in Minneapolis before the trial of former cop Derek Chauvin got underway and said it will show how far America has made it on the journey toward equality. He also said it'll prove how far along the nation is when it comes to achieving justice for everybody. Crump added the trial will show whether America truly lives up to one of its founding documents, the Declaration of Independence. Crump says Floyd was tortured to death and asserted this case isn't a hard one.