Former Minneapolis officer goes on trial on charge of murdering George Floyd

A view shows the raised fist sculpture at George Floyd Square a day before opening statements in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is facing murder charges in the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., March 28, 2021. REUTERS/Octavio Jones

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) -Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin betrayed his badge by "grinding" his knee into George Floyd's neck during a deadly arrest last May, a prosecutor said on Monday at a murder trial that is widely seen as a test of the U.S. justice system.

Chauvin's lawyers responded by saying that the former officer was simply following training from his 19 years on the force, even as they acknowledged that the arrest, caught in videos from multiple angles, was distressing to watch.