Former Training Commander On Chauvin Neck Restraint: ‘That’s Not What We Train’

Inspector Katie Blackwell, who commands the Minneapolis Police Department’s 5th Precinct and used to run the department’s police training, methodically told the court on Monday that former officer Derek Chauvin went against authorized training when he used his knee on George Floyd’s neck to pin him to the ground.

After describing the training that Chauvin, whom she said she’s known for 20 years, has received throughout his career, Blackwell said his technique — kneeling on Floyd’s neck while the Black man lay on his stomach — was not a maneuver the training operation taught.

“Is this a trained technique … by the Minneapolis police department when you were overseeing the training?” prosecutor Steven Schleicher asked.