A prosecutor at Derek Chauvin's trial has corrected one of the most symbolic details about George Floyd's death.
The former Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and not the 8:46 timing which has since become a symbol of police brutality, it was revealed on Monday (March 29).
As per CNN, in opening statements of the trial, prosecutor Jerry Blackwell repeatedly emphasized the new 9:29 timing and told jurors they were the "three most important numbers in this case."
Blackwell went on to break down the kneeling into three sections: 4 minutes and 45 seconds which is when Floyd cried out for help, 53 seconds as he flailed due to seizure, and 3 minutes and 51 seconds when he became unresponsive.
To support its own arguments, Chauvin's defense also accepted the accuracy of the new timings.
While the 43 second difference will have little effect on criminal proceedings, it is a haunting reminder of the brutality Floyd was subjected to when he died on May 25, 2020.
"The evidence is far greater than 9 minutes and 29 seconds," attorney Eric Nelson said in his opening statement, before acknowledging the speculation that he would prove Chauvin's innocence.
Globally, the number has become so symbolic in the wake of Floyd's death that it even has its own Wikipedia page, with protestors including Democratic members of Congress, holding moments of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Minutes before the trial on Monday, members of Floyd's family and allies, including Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Benjamin Crump, also took the knee for 8:45 to commemorate his death.
The timing has now been corrected by Hennepin County Attorney's Office several times.
In June of last year, Hennepin County Attorney's Office told CNN that Chauvin knelt on Floyd for 7 minutes and 46 seconds.
"These kinds of technical matters can be handled in future amendments to the criminal complaint if other reasons make it necessary to amend the complaint between now and any trials," the county said in a statement, before adding that it "made no difference" in whether or not Chauvin would be charged.
A criminal complaint against Chauvin is where the initial 8:46 timing was established.
It was also based on a video of the incident taken by a bystander that went viral and caused worldwide outrage. However, it is over ten minutes long and begins with Chauvin already kneeling on Floyd's neck.
Evidence from the officers' body cameras is what ultimately led to the establishment of the accurate timing of over 9 minutes.
