Critics Say Chauvin Defense 'Weaponized' Stigma For Black Americans With Addiction
Derek Chauvin's defense has suggested George Floyd's drug use might have made him more "volatile" and unpredictable, justifying the use of force. Critics say Floyd needed health care and compassion.
When George Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross took the stand for the prosecution, she described the couple's struggle with drugs as part of the nation's deadly opioid epidemic.
"It's a classic story of how many people get addicted to opioids," Ross testified. "We both suffered from chronic pain. We both had prescriptions." During the opioid crisis, millions of Americans became addicted to prescription painkillers, then turned to street opioids including
