Derek Chauvin, who has been charged for manslaughter and murder in the incident that led to the death of George Floyd, is currently putting forward his defense in the trial through Eric Nelson, his legal representative. 

Nelson is tackling the high-profile trial with what seems to be a three-fold strategy, the first step of which includes stressing on his belief that Floyd passed away due to his usage of drugs and underlying heart disease.

The defense attorney’s opening statement read, “The evidence will show that Mr Floyd died of a cardiac arrhythmia that occurred as a result of hypertension, his coronary disease, the ingestion of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and the adrenaline flowing through his body, all of which acted to further compromise an already compromised heart”, reported AFP.

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The second step of the defence includes calling on witnesses that help build upon the theory of drug abuse and health conditions. The line of witnesses included a paramedic who testified that Floyd was under the influence of opioids during a previous arrest and Shawanda Hill, a woman accompanying Floyd on the day of the fatal incident. 

Hill testified that Floyd was asleep in his car and did not wake up until the police arrived at the spot, even after multiple attempts. 

Hill said Floyd had been “happy, normal, talking, alert” and then fell asleep in his car.

Prosecutors have acknowledged that Floyd had fentanyl and meth in his system at the time of his death but introduced testimony from several medical experts who said the doses were not lethal.

Andrew Baker, the chief medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, said Floyd had heart disease and had consumed drugs but they were not the “direct causes” of his death, reported AFP.

Baker said Floyd’s cause of death was “restraint and neck compression” while being subdued by police.

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The defense’s star witness on Tuesday was a retired police officer, Barry Brodd, who testified that Chauvin’s use of force was “justified.”

“I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr Floyd,” Brodd said.

“You have to see it through the eyes of the officers on the scene,” said Brodd, who spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement and was hired as a paid expert witness by the defense.

Brodd was asked if “deadly force” was used against Floyd. “It was not,” he replied.

Brodd initially said that pinning Floyd facedown in the street with officers on his back was not a use of force.

But he acknowledged under tough cross-examination from prosecutor Steve Schleicher that it did qualify as a use of force under Minnesota Police Department policies.

Prosecutors put several police officers on the witness stand who testified that Chauvin’s use of force against Floyd was excessive and unnecessary.

Chauvin’s attorney has repeatedly sought to portray the bystanders who witnessed Floyd’s arrest as potentially dangerous to the officers.

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One of the witnesses Nelson called on Monday was Peter Chang, a Minneapolis Park Police officer who was on the scene that day.

Chang, who was across the street and did not take part in subduing Floyd, testified that the crowd was “loud and aggressive.”

“I was concerned for the officers’ safety,” he said.

Under cross-examination, Chang acknowledged, however, that the officers arresting Floyd did not call for help or issue a radio call for assistance.

Brodd, the retired police officer, was also asked by Nelson about the “threat” of the crowd and he noted that Chauvin at one point withdrew a can of pepper spray, reported AFP.

In the documented videos of the incident, several witnesses can be seen and heard trying to call out the police officers in an attempt to free Floyd from the deadly force. One witness, who tried to walk up to the officers was stopped in his way.