Ilhan Omar says Chauvin defense putting Floyd on trial is ‘horrendous’

Chauvin’s trial, she said, ‘has just unearthed so much trauma for many of us. But we have each other. And we’re gonna get through it.’

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said defense attorneys for Derek Chauvin are putting murder victim George Floyd on trial in a ploy she called “horrendous.”

Omar, appearing on CNN on Sunday, told host Jake Tapper her Minneapolis community is “on edge,” as it — and the world — awaits the outcome of the trial. Said Omar: “We have seen justice not delivered in our community for many years.”

Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (above) told CNN’s Jake Tapper that defense attorneys for Derek Chauvin are putting murder victim George Floyd on trial in a ploy that she called “horrendous.” (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

In addition to noting how hard it was to watch the defense, she told CNN “the one part that has stayed with me is the fact that everyone who took the witness stand said they felt helpless. That is a feeling that we know really well here in Minneapolis when it comes to police abuse.”

When asked if she was concerned about a hung jury or a not guilty verdict, Omar said that while the community is on edge about that potential outcome, she feels “there is a lot of confidence in [state] attorney general Keith Ellison and the prosecutors in this case, but we are all eagerly awaiting to see how this trial shakes out.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo is expected to appear in court this week — potentially today — as a witness for the prosecution.

In opening statements, prosecutor Jerry Blackwell alluded to Arradondo’s testimony, informing jurors “he is going to tell you that Mr. Chauvin’s conduct was not consistent with Minneapolis police department training. He will not mince any words. He’s very clear. He will be very decisive: that this was excessive force.”

If Arradondo is consistent in that testimony, he will be the second officer to testify that Chauvin acted outside of traditional training. Lt. Richard Zimmerman said Friday that he, personally, had never been trained to restrain someone by putting his knee on their neck.

According to Omar, for her city and many others, “[the trial] has just unearthed so much trauma for many of us. But we have each other. And we’re gonna get through it.”

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