MORRIES Lester Hall is a key witness in the trial against former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin who killed his friend George Floyd.
Hall recently made a monumental decision about his involvement in Floyd's trial.
Who is Morries Lester Hall?
Morries Lester Hall is George Floyd's acquaintance and a key witness in his trial.
Hall was in the car with Floyd at the time of his arrest in 2020 and insisted that Floyd did not resist arrest before he was taken out of his car.
Hall, 42, told the New York Times that the pair met in Houston and that he looked up to Floyd as a friend and mentor.
At the time of his arrest by police officers Lane and Keung, Hall was in the passenger seat of the same blue Mercedes SUV as Floyd. Cops were prompted to arrest Floyd after he was accused of purchasing cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill.
Speaking about Floyd's death at the hands of Chauvin, Hall said:
"He was just crying out at that time for anyone to help because he was dying. I'm going to always remember seeing the fear in Floyd's face because he's such a king. That's what sticks with me, seeing a grown man cry, before seeing a grown man die," he said.
Hall has been accused of not being fully cooperative with the Floyd investigation and also had outstanding warrants against him for felony charges of firearm possession, domestic assault and drug possession.
What has he said about the George Floyd trial?
Hall has pleaded Fifth Amendment and refused to testify in Chauvin's ongoing trial.
On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, Hall filed a motion with Hennepin County District Court where he gave notice that he would plead the Fifth if called upon to testify by either side.
The legal document filed by the court read that "Mr Morries Lester Hall…hereby provides notice to all parties in this matter that if called to testify he will invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination."
His decision came at the end of the third day in Chauvin's trial where jurors saw previously unseen bodycam footage from the cops involved in the incident.
Although Hall has initially agreed to be a key witness in the case, he turned his decision around, saying:
"I'm a key witness to the cops murdering George Floyd, and they want to know my side. Whatever I've been through, it's all over with now. It's not about me."
He also previously said, "I walk with Floyd. I know that I'm going to be his voice."
What did the police bodycam footage show in court?
Jurors were shown never-before-seen bodycam footage of Floyd pleading with officers during his arrest, telling them "I'm not a bad guy" before gasping for breath while Chauvin had his knee over his neck for over nine minutes.
Chauvin's bodycam footage shows him lifting Floyd by the neck as the two struggle to the floor, ultimately unpinning his camera and rendering that video useless.
The footage shows Chauvin and Officer Thomas Lane struggling with Floyd to get him inside the police car, and Chauvin's camera falling to the ground during the fracas.
Lane's bodycam then showed Chauvin's camera on the street while the famous bystander video caught the rest of Chauvin's knee on Floyd's neck.
Floyd is seen on tape pleading for his life as Chauvin defends his actions, saying "that's one person's opinion" after Charles McMillian, a bystander, is heard off-camera taking issue with Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck.
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