President Joe Biden says he is praying for the “right” verdict as the country braces for an outcome in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder after kneeling on the neck of a dying George Floyd last year.
The White House has been warily watching the trial amid fears of widespread unrest if Chauvin is cleared.
“I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict,” said Biden on Tuesday. “I think it’s overwhelming in my view.”
The jury retired to consider its decision on Monday, prompting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to declare a state of emergency and announce that he was preparing to bring in police officers from neighboring states to respond to any violence.
MINNEAPOLIS BRACES FOR UNREST AS TRIAL CONCLUDES
Officials are considering whether Biden should address the nation after the verdict.
Biden also confirmed he had spoken with the family.
“I waited until the jury was sequestered, and I called,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “They’re a good family.”
The jury resumed deliberations on Tuesday morning after hearing closing arguments a day earlier.
Prosecutors used expert witnesses to build a case that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death when he knelt on the black man’s neck for more than nine minutes, even after Floyd became unresponsive, all captured on video.
“Use your common sense. Believe your eyes,” said prosecutor Steve Schleicher. “What you saw, you saw.”
The defense argued that the white officer acted reasonably and that 46-year-old Floyd died from the effects of illegal drug use and a heart condition.
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Floyd’s death last year triggered nationwide protests, and the Chauvin trial has left the city on a knife-edge. The court is protected by concrete barriers and razor wire while stores in downtown Minneapolis have been boarded up.
