"I saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger, if that’s what they felt, and that’s what they would have to feel to be able to use that kind of force," he testified.
The top-level restraint should have been stopped while Floyd was prone and no longer resisting, he said.
During cross-examination, Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lead defense attorney, tried to make Zimmerman appear out of touch with the dangers on Minneapolis streets and how police training has evolved since he last patrolled in 1993. Zimmerman acknowledged that his past few years of experience with force had been largely through police academy training sessions, not street patrol duty.
Nelson drew Zimmerman’s agreement that when a police officer is involved in a fight for life, "you are allowed to use whatever force is necessary." Zimmerman also acknowledged that a handcuffed person could still pose a threat to officers.
During the prosecution's re-questioning of Zimmerman, government lawyer Matthew Frank asked whether police training about potential dangers for a suspect held in the prone position had been adjusted over the years.
“That hasn’t changed,” said Zimmerman.
Citing his review of the police body camera videos, Zimmerman added that he did not see Floyd trying to kick Chauvin and other officers as he was held down.
Frank asked whether the bystanders watching the police struggle with Floyd posed an "uncontrollable threat" to the officers. Zimmerman said they did not.
"It doesn't matter – the crowd – as long as they're not attacking you," he said. "The crowd shouldn't have an effect on your actions."
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