Derek Chauvin trial to resume as MMA fighter who witnessed ‘blood choke’ during George Floyd arrest returns

The trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, resumes Tuesday with further testimony from an MMA fighter who witnessed Floyd’s arrest.

Donald Williams, 33, a wrestler and mixed martial artist who said he has worked with athletes and off-duty Minneapolis police officers, came upon Floyd's arrest while walking to the Cup Foods convenience store on May 25, 2020.

Williams will continue his testimony – which could provide crucial insight into the potential cause of death – as both sides argue whether Floyd was killed by the officer through mechanical asphyxia or due to a heart arrhythmia exacerbated by methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system prior to the arrest.

As he first testified Monday, Williams described various chokeholds and how they are used. He described Chauvin's position with his knee on Floyd's neck as a "blood choke." As he arrived outside the store, Williams said he noticed two police vehicles and a commotion.

"I noticed there were two police squad cars there … thought something's going on, should I go back to my car or not?" Williams said on the stand. He then described how he heard Floyd in distress, saying, "My stomach hurts I can’t breathe, my head hurts, I can’t breathe … he pleaded with them."

"I felt the officer on top was shimmying to actually get the final choke in while he was on top. Sometimes you could get in a blood choke and not know you’re in a blood choke until you’re unconscious," Williams said, referring to Chauvin, who had his knee pressed to Floyd’s neck.

Drawing from his training at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, Williams said he observed three factors about the restraint: the position of where the knee was on the neck, what body movements were happening while the knee was on the neck, and what was the condition of Floyd "while he was going through this torture."

"One was that the neck was diagonal across the throat, which on a blood choke you tack the side of the neck," Williams said. "You want to tack the side of the neck, cut the circulation of the breathing from your person, and then to get the choke tighter, you hit different shimmies, which I felt the officer on top was shimming, to actually get the final choking while he was on top to get the kill choke."