Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said Tuesday that the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck, should be a closed case before the verdict was given.
Omar was in Minneapolis ahead of the verdict and spoke to a group of reporters about what she expects to see from the verdict and shared her thoughts on the trial.
Omar mentioned state Attorney General Kieth Ellison and said the people trust he put together a good prosecution team.
“The case to me feels like a closed case where it shouldn’t be really even questioned whether there will be an acquittal or a verdict that doesn’t meet the scale of the crime that was committed. I know that a majority of the community has trust in the leadership of Attorney General Keith Ellison and the prosecutors that he put forth to be able to prosecute this case in a way that was dignified and just,” Omar said to reporters.
“And as the community is still on edge and feels that we are a community that has experienced injustice over and over again, that this might actually be the turning point. And so we are prayed up, we are holding onto one another for support, we are checking in on one another and hopefully this verdict will come soon and the community can start the process of healing,” Omar added.
WATCH:
“The case, to me, feels like a closed case” Representative Ilhan Omar gives remarks about the Derek Chauvin Trial this morning in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota #BrooklynCenter #ChauvinTrial pic.twitter.com/3fKCY3IcVX
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) April 20, 2021
Chauvin was charged in the May 2020 death of Floyd. Meanwhile, riots have been ongoing throughout the city for the past week as the trial took place. (RELATED: ‘Broke The Law, Incited Violence’—McCarthy To Introduce Resolution Censuring Maxine Waters For ‘Dangerous Comments’)
Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters encouraged protestors to “get more active” and “get more confrontational” on Saturday in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota judge overseeing Chauvin’s trial told the defense Monday that Waters’ recent comments regarding the verdict might cause an appeal that could “result in this whole trial being overturned.” (RELATED: REPORT: Democrats Are Angry With Maxine Waters, Some Say They Would ‘Relish The Opportunity To Censure Her’)
President Joe Biden called Floyd’s family Monday to let them know he was praying for them.