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Prosecution Rests, Defense Begins Case In Chauvin Murder Trial; Honoring Capitol Hill Officer William "Billy" Evans. Aired 11-11:30a ET
Aired April 13, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIC NELSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR DEREK CHAUVIN: Your first vitals were taken at approximately 1:34 and 59 seconds?
[11:00:07]
MICHELLE MONSENG, FORMER PARAMEDIC: Without looking at the run sheet, I wouldn't know for sure.
NELSON: Would it refresh your recollection to review the run sheet?
MONSENG: Yes.
NELSON: May I approach the witness, your honor?
Thank you.
MONSENG: You've written on here that yes, it was 13:34 was the first recorded vital signs.
NELSON: That refreshes your recollection?
MONSENG: Yes. Did you need it back?
(INAUDIBLE)
JUDGE PETER CAHILL, HENNEPIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE: If you need to refresh your memory with that, let us know and we'll allow you refresh your memory. But otherwise, testify with your memory as best as you can.
MONSENG: OK.
CAHILL: Thank you.
NELSON: At 1334., that's 1:34p.m., agreed, you took his vitals, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
NELSON: And that would include his blood pressure at the time?
MONSENG: Yes.
NELSON: And did you record what his blood pressure was at that time?
MONSENG: Yes, it was. It was 216 over 160.
NESLON: Did you make recommendations to transport Mr. Floyd to the hospital?
MONSENG: Based on that and others, yes.
NELSON: OK. And ultimately, did he -- was he brought to the hospital?
MONSENG: Eventually.
NELSON: All right. I believe that's all I have, Your Honor.
ERIN ELDRIDGE, MINNESOTA ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Good morning, Ms. Monseng.
MONSENG: Good morning.
ELDRIDGE: You provided treatment to George Floyd on May 6, 2019, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: You were concerned about his blood pressure at that time, correct?
MONSENG: That was one of the things.
ELDRIDGE: And in the course of your treatment of him, he explained that his high blood pressure wasn't something new, right?
MONSENG: Initially, he denied medical issues but when I discovered his blood pressure I specifically asked again and he said yes. He had history of hypertension and had not been taking his medication.
ELDRIDGE: And he said he had not been taking his blood pressure medication for months, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: And he told you that he swallowed some pills, right?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: Approximately seven Percocet, correct?
MONSENG: Documented, yeah, seven to nine every 20 minutes or so for a while.
ELDRIDGE: And Percocet is a brand name, right?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: Is that oxycodone and acetaminophen?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: It's used to treat pain, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: You testified that it's an opioid, yes?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: So, he told you he had been taking those pills throughout the day, right?
MONSENG: Yes. I asked him why. He said it was because he was addicted.
ELDRIDGE: He told you he was addicted and he responded to your questions about taking the pills, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: And he was able to walk, correct?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: He was able to stand up?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: And you wanted him to go do the hospital, right?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: And he didn't feel like he wanted to go to the hospital, correct? He was resistant to going to the hospital, right?
MONSENG: I know he was resistant to get on our bed. He was -- it was hard to tell exactly he was upset about.
ELDRIDGE: I'm going to object at this point.
MONSENG: I'm sorry.
ELDRIDGE: Just with respect to going to the hospital, Your Honor.
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: The question I asked to that. He didn't want to go to the hospital, right?
MONSENG: I'll say yes.
ELDRIDGE: It took some time to convince him to go to hospital, correct?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: And you indicated that he told you he had been addicted to opioids, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: He had been addicted to opioids at that point for a year and a half, right?
MONSENG: I'm not aware of that.
ELDRIDGE: But he didn't feel like he needed to go to the hospital?
MONSENG: He didn't want to go with us at that point.
ELDRIDGE: And you referred to your run report, right, the record you keep in term of the treatment of patients. You see that up there, correct?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: And according to your run report, you documented that Mr. Floyd was alert, correct?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: And he obeyed commands, correct?
MONSENG: Eventually.
[11:05:00]
ELDRIDGE: That's what's in your report, right? Correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: That he had an appropriate response to stimulation, yes?
MONSENG: Correct, correct.
ELDRIDGE: He wasn't nauseous or vomiting when you were treating him, right?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: His respiratory rate was normal, yes?
MONSENG: It was elevated at times.
ELDRIDGE: You wrote respiratory rate normal in your report, correct?
MONSENG: At the beginning, yes. His effort was normal, it was increased at times.
ELDRIDGE: Throughout your documentation you wrote respiratory effort, normal, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: At 1334, at 1409, at 1426, all those notes you indicated his respiratory effort was normal, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: He was not in respiratory distress, correct?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: His blood oxygen level was normal, right?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: His pulse was normal, correct?
MONSENG: Yes.
ELDRIDGE: His heart rhythm was regular or normal, right?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: His EKG was normal?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: He had a normal rhythm, the sinus rhythm, which is the rhythm of a normal, healthy heart, right?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: And you indicated you had been worried about high blood pressure for the possibility of a stroke, right?
MONSENG: Among other things, yes.
ELDRIDGE: But he didn't have a stroke, right?
MONSENG: Didn't have any indications that we're picking up at that time.
ELDRIDGE: He didn't have a stroke while you were with him?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: He was never given Narcan, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: He didn't stop breathing?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: His heart didn't stop?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: He didn't go to a cardiac arrest?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: He didn't go into coma?
MONSENG: No.
ELDRIDGE: And you took him to the hospital, correct?
MONSENG: Correct.
ELDRIDGE: And he was monitored for two hours and released right after, right?
MONSENG: I don't know.
ELDRIDGE: Nothing further, Your Honor.
CAHILL: Anything further?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Your Honor.
CAHILL: Thank you. You may step down.
(INAUDIBLE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. It's Kate Bolduan.
We are watching as the defense is now laying out, beginning to lay out its case in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin.
Let me bring in CNN legal analyst Laura Coates, as well as Chief Charles Ramsey for more on this.
Laura, can I get just your take quickly very quickly because it's gone -- what you think of what the defense is presenting right out of the gate.
LAURA COATES, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: What is this, Kate? That's my reaction. Is this the best you have for what happened over the last two weeks? You've got your first witness who says that George Floyd was compliant. He's a former officer who actually had an encounter with George Floyd where he began with having a gun, and knew that there was not a lethal threat to him, put it away and he was complaint.
You have a paramedic who's saying that his heart was normal. His respiratory system was normal. His EKG was normal.
All of this has corroborated the prosecution's case. So, I'm wondering is there a point you're going to defend Derek Chauvin or we're going to have a regurgitation of what the jury has already seen which is very compelling evidence that George Floyd was the victim and the decedent in this case, not an aggressor and not a drug overdose victim.
BOLDUAN: Control room is telling me they have called a five-minute break now in between witnesses. Chief, what's your sense of this? It seems -- this is already playing
out in a very different fashion than we saw as the prosecution was beginning to lay out its case. The word I keep thinking of it's very choppy. There's a lot of tension, it seems.
CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I mean, it's not very strong. I don't know if it's going to improve. If it doesn't, this is not going to last very long in terms of the defense presentation. But I mean, you've had two witnesses now that really didn't contribute anything that would contradict what the prosecution has put on and they are talking about past events that have nothing to do with May 25th of last year. Absolutely nothing.
And so -- I mean, I'm not a lawyer but I don't get it. If I was the defendant, I'd be a little nervous right now.
BOLDUAN: And also, just as every one is looking at your television screen, this is just the split screen is a real picture of America right now that we have been looking at throughout the morning. We're looking at right now is the ceremony honoring the life and service of Officer Billy Evans, a Capitol Police officer who was killed in the line of duty as an attacker ran his car into Officer Evans and another officer a little over 10 -- about 10 days ago.
This ceremony, this tribute is about goat under way. You see President Biden. He is there. He will be speaking as well as Nancy Pelosi. Also just then the split screen of what we have also been watching play out, which is the murder trial of a former officer on trial for murder because a man died at his hands.
[11:10:05]
Derek Chauvin, on trial for murder. George Floyd is dead.
I mean, Laura, this is just -- what we're looking at right now is just a tragic, kind of split screen picture of America.
COATES: We are. I mean, this -- this is America. This is the United States of America and obviously, it pains every person who is here, and around the globe, who are watching what was once a beacon of hope.
You know the way in which America has been able to bring over the ideas of democracy and a government of, for and by the people and about not having a military state and having public servants really serve the public. And this stands in stark contrast to our professed values.
And I certainly hope one of things that's happening with this particular trial and what is illustrative of what happened to George Floyd and so many others will have people sparking the change we actually need in this country.
BOLDUAN: Billy Evans' family is in attendance.
Chief, if you could stick with me. Let's listen in to this ceremony as it's now getting under way in the Capitol rotunda. (INAUDIBLE)
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please stand with the invocation delivered by House Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben.
MARGARET GRUN KIBBEN, HOUSE CHAPLAIN: Would you pray with me?
Eternal God, descend from your heavens and sanctify this place, for this hallowed hall is stained with our tears. It's luster dulled by our grief. This tragedy has scarred our souls with anger, confusion, fear and deep sadness.
Be among us in this moment for we have lost a son, a father, a friend and a partner, Officer William "Billy" Evans.
And we need this strength of your everlasting arms and the comfort of your Holy Spirit to abide with us in our grief. We pray that you would speak into our pain, allow us to hear your tender voice in the words spoken.
[11:15:07]
The tributes offered and the prayers lifted in Billy's honor. Soothe our sorrow with the indelible memories of good times shared with him. Evidence of the blessings of a life well lived and well loved. Shine your light into the gloom of death's shadow.
May it shed courage and consolation upon Officer Evan's mother Janice, his children Logan and Abigail and their mother Shannon, in sure and certain hope of the eternity that you have promised.
We commend this service to your will and your servant William to your keeping. In your strong and holy name we pray, amen.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Charles E. Schumer, majority leader of the United States Senate.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: To the family, my colleagues and members of our great Capitol Police force. Capitol Police officers are approached by hundreds of lost tourists day.
If you were one of the lucky ones, you bumped into Officer Billy Evans. Excuse me, they say. Can I ask a question? Billy would flash his wide smile, eyes full of mirth, and say, but you already did.
To know Billy Evans was to know to borrow from Shakespeare, a fellow of infinite jest. His childhood friends will tell you that Billy capitalized literally on every opportunity for a joke. His college crew would add he could be a prankster. His bowling crew and his band crew would say just the same and Billy was man of many crews.
The guy you'd ask to sit shotgun on a long road trip. The one you'd want to be stationed with on lazy summer day at the north barricade. The first pick for an afternoon of Legos and light saber duels. Of course, not all of Billy's jokes were winners. He had his share of
bad dad jokes. Some were just random.
If a fellow officer asked Billy what he was up to. He'd be liable to reply, just thinking about my ideal weight if I was eight feet tall. A fellow of infinite jest who wrung joy and laughter out of life's smallest moments.
Returning to that lost tourist for a moment, of course, Officer Evans wouldn't leave the poor guy hanging. Now let me ask you a question, he'd say. How can I help?
Summing up his life's mission in those four simple words. How can I help?
How can I help my country? Join the Capitol Police force.
How can I help my colleagues? Volunteer to join the first responders unit and on an unseasonably cold day in early April, that innate impulse to ask, how can I help, had Billy running towards danger. A reflex as natural and automatic as breath to put the safety and happiness of others before his own.
We are all shocked by the senselessness of this loss. To his sister Julie, his mother Janice who I was able to speak with last week. To Shannon, my heartbreaks for you. It does.
To Billy's beloved children, Logan, Abigail, I want you know we are forever indebted to your dad. We will remember his sacrifice and your sacrifice forever.
To Billy's friends on the Capitol Police force, these past few months have been devastating. Just as the scars of January 6th had begun to heal, another wound had opened.
[11:20:04]
I say to you now, our dear Capitol Police force who protect us, there's no shame in grief and sorrow and shock. We grieve with you. We feel that shock and sorrow with you, and we will heal together with you.
To every one else gathered here, I have two things to ask of you. First, if you see an officer today, be like Billy and ask yourself, how can I help? Be like Billy and be a comfort to all who are lost, to all who continue to recover from wounds seen and unseen in the wake of these tragedies.
And second, second, I'd ask all of you to keep his memory alive. In the Jewish faith, we say may their memory be a blessing. A blessing is something we remember and share and speak aloud.
Those of you who remember Billy need to speak his name, tell his story, tell his jokes, even the bad ones, especially the bad ones, to keep his memory alive. To make sure his young children grow up knowing their dad and remembering him as the hero and loving father he was. Today, we are hallow with loss, but one day, Billy's memory will feel
like a blessing. If there all of life's tragedies, Billy could search every moment for that spark of joy, so can we.
Rest in peace, William. May your memory be a blessing.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Mr. President, members of Billy's family, including the members of the Capitol Police who are here, it is my official and sad honor to welcome you, as well as Billy's many friends, colleagues and loved ones to the Capitol to honor his life.
This observance is elevated by the presence of the members of the Capitol police, leaders from the District of Columbia, including Mayor Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department. We thank you for your service. Members of the administration, the attorney general, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the president of the United States.
We all acknowledge Officer Evans Capitol Police family and thank them every chance we get. We include in that recognition officer Kenneth Shaver, American hero. We acknowledge Christina. We thank Officer Craig Atkinson if his heroism here with his wife Mary Julia.
That the officer with whom Billy served at the north barricade were sitting among his family today is a testament to the special bond Billy had with that force. Most importantly, we are blessed to be with Officer Evans family, his mother Janice, his children Logan and Abigail and their mother Shannon and sister Julia. Thank you for giving Congress the honor of paying tribute to Billy Evans today.
Officer Evans joins a pantheon of heroes who have given their lives to defend this capital, including on January 6th. Bryan Sicknick, Howard Livengood, Jeffrey Smith. Also Christopher Eni (ph), Clinton Holt, Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson some years ago. As we promise to remember, we carry them in our hearts forever.
[11:25:08]
Twice in two months have many of us been brought here together in the Capitol Rotunda united if grief to mourn the life and loss of heroes in uniform. Just months after the January 6th assault on our democracy, the men and women of the Capitol police were again called to duty.
On April 2nd, Officer Evans answered call on giving his life to protect the Capitol and our country. He became a martyr for our democracy.
Officer Evans, Catholic, was killed on Good Friday, the saddest day if many people of faith. His sacrifice recalls scripture. Greater love has no one than this, that he laid down his life for his friends. Officer Billy Evans was a hero whose life was distinguished by dedication to dedication to our country including 18 years on the Capitol Police force.
He represented the best of public service, selflessness, sacrifice and sheer courage in face of the threat to our nation.
When people spoke of Officer Evans, they said things like he loved being a Capitol Police officer more than anyone could say and he carried the badge everywhere. He was just so proud.
But what Billy was most proud of was his family. His absolute devotion to his family was legendary. When I spoke to Janice's mother following the tragedy, I asked how she was doing and she said, my concern is for the children, for Logan and for Abigail.
I hope it's a comfort to Logan and Abigail. I see they have their cozies with them there but I hope it's also a comfort to them that their father, an American hero is lying where Abraham Lincoln lay on a catapult built for Abraham Lincoln. Many of us have heard Billy's friends talk about his favorite part of the day was returns home from work to see his children's faces light up with joy.
How Billy loved sharing with them, his love for sports, particularly, Boston sports. How it made each day an adventure whether play fighting with light sabers as the leader mentioned, and building cities of Legos and enjoying the magic of Harry Potter series.
Every one who knew Billy knew he was a hero on the Capitol Police force and in his family. It's our hope with this tribute the American people, too, will know and remember the truth. Logan and Abigail no words are adequate. We can only imagine your sadness, but we hope it's a comfort to you that so many now know about your dad and know that he is a hero, that his name will always be on our lips and his memory in our hearts.
That the president of the United States is picking up one of your distractions. Greater compliment as no one have than the president of the United States looking after your toys.
That so many mourning your loss and pray for you, including the president of the United States here today to offer words of tribute to Billy. We also hope this tribute is a comfort to members of the Capitol Police force who have endured a horrific and heartbreaking several months.
As we grieve the passing of all who have given their lives to defend the Capitol and the country, we are moved by the courage, grace and resilience with which each member of the force met this moment and continues to serve our nation. Thank you.
May God bless the United States Capitol Police force and all who work to keep our nation safe. And may God bless America.
Thank you to the family of Billy Evans for giving us this honor to pay tribute to a true American hero. Thank you.
(INAUDIBLE)
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable.
