The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. April 7, 2021 Minneapolis Police Trainer Says Derek Chauvin Kneeling on Floyd's Neck Was Not Authorized Technique --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Four witnesses took the stand Tuesday in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd last May. Minneapolis Police Department trainer Johnny Mercil testified Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck was not a trained restraint and that officers are instructed to only use force that is proportional to a threat. This is Mercil answering questions from the prosecution. Steve Schleicher: "So, if there was - say, for example, the subject was under control and handcuffed, would this be authorized?" Lt. Johnny Mercil: "I would say no." .