Biden says evidence 'overwhelming' in George Floyd trial
Demonstrators protest near the Hennepin County Courthouse on April 19, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the jury begins deliberating in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd.
What you need to know:
- Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter over Floyd's May 25, 2020 death during an arrest.
Washington,
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for the "right" verdict in the trial of the ex-policeman accused of murdering George Floyd and called the evidence "overwhelming."
"I'm praying the verdict is the right verdict. I think (it's)... overwhelming in my view," Biden told reporters, noting that he was only speaking openly because the jury has been sequestered.
Biden, who spoke with the Floyd family, said they were feeling "pressure and anxiety."
The President spoken with the family to offer support, the White House said, as a Minneapolis jury deliberated in the racially charged trial of an ex-police officer accused of murdering the African American man.
"President Biden spoke with the family of George Floyd yesterday to check in with them and also share that the family was in his prayers," Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted.
Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter over Floyd's May 25, 2020 death during an arrest.
The incident sparked protests against racial injustice around the world and has become a landmark test of police accountability in the United States.
Earlier Tuesday, Floyd's brother Philonise told NBC News that Biden, whose life has been scarred by the deaths of several close family members, had called.
"He knows how it is to lose a family member. He knows the process of what we are going through."
"He was just letting us know that he was praying for us, and hoping that everything would come out to be OK," the brother said.
