A man who was with George Floyd the day he died in Minneapolis police custody filed a notice with the court Wednesday saying he will invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination if he is asked to testify in court.
Man who was with George Floyd the day he died invokes Fifth Amendment, refuses to testify
March 31, 2021 at 11:02PM
The Hennepin County Public Defender's Office filed the notice on behalf of Morries Hall, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with Floyd, who was in the driver's seat, when police approached Floyd for allegedly using a fake $20 bill at Cup Foods in south Minneapolis.
"Counsel for Mr. Hall respectfully moves this court to quash the subpoena … and release Mr. Hall from any obligations therein," said the notice filed by Assistant Public Defender Adrienne Cousins.
The notice did not provide additional details.
Prosecutors and defense attorney Eric Nelson listed Hall as a potential witness in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Police body camera videos show Hall sitting in the car with Floyd as another occupant, Shawanda Hill, sat in the back seat.
Nelson told jurors in his opening statements Monday that investigators found pill fragments made to look like Percocet in the car. They allegedly tested positive for a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl, which was found in Floyd's system.
Nelson also said Hall and Hill would testify that Floyd consumed two pills in the car before police arrived, fell asleep and could not be awakened by Hall or Hill.
"The evidence will show that when confronted by police, Mr. Floyd put drugs in his mouth in an effort to conceal them from police," Nelson said.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
