Charles McMillian, a witness to the killing of George Floyd, cried heavily on Wednesday during the trial of Derek Chauvin.
The court was forced to go into recess after McMillian broke down as the video showed Floyd struggling to breathe and calling out for his mother while Chauvin and the other officers violently held him down, HuffPost reported.
Video of McMillian left many watching the trial, and those following along online, astonished and in tears as well.
McMillian was the first person to arrive as the officers pushed Floyd's face and body into the concrete. He can be seen on video begging Floyd to not resist and to let the officers arrest him, telling him, "You can't win."
As the 61-year-old recounted the incident, he cried profusely, telling the court "I feel helpless," as he described how he's felt since that day.
Like many others who have testified during the first three days of the trial, McMillian said he has been haunted by Floyd's death and specifically highlighted how the father kept calling out for his own mother.
“I don’t have a mother either, I understand him,” McMillian said.
The court was forced to go into recess as McMillian cried.
Charles McMillian, who tried to speak to George Floyd as officers first tried to put him in a police car and then later as Floyd shouted for his mama while Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck, just broke down on the witness stand.
Court on a break now.pic.twitter.com/otRlBocOuZ
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 31, 2021
Before the recess, McMillian said he was driving by when he saw the officers trying to force Floyd into the back of the police car as he yelled about being claustrophobic. He stopped his car and approached the scene, talking to Floyd as the officers held him down.
“I’ve had interactions with officers myself. I understand once you get in the cuffs you can’t win. You’re done. That’s just the way I look at it,” he said, adding that he tried to get Floyd to go into the back seat of the police car but that Floyd said he couldn't.
This is the third day of gut-wrenching testimony from witnesses who saw Chauvin choke Floyd to death for more than nine minutes. The court also heard testimony from 19-year-old Christopher Martin, a cashier at Cup Foods who reported the alleged fake $20 bill to his boss, which triggered the incident.
