Closing arguments at the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd are set to begin early Monday U.S. time.
Chauvin said in court Thursday he wouldn't testify in his murder trial moments before the defense said it has completed its case and the prosecution said the same.
Before the jury entered the courtroom, defense lawyer Eric Nelson asked Chauvin if he understood his constitutional right to not testify. Chauvin said he understood.
"I will invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege," Chauvin said. Chauvin said he understood any decision to testify was his alone and neither the court nor state can equate silence with guilt, according to Star Tribune.
The prosecution rested its case after it recalled Dr. Martin Tobin Thursday as a rebuttal witness.
Tobin previously testified about the cause of Floyd's death, attributing it to a lack of oxygen caused by his prone positioning while handcuffed with Chauvin pressing his knees on his back and neck.
A parade of medical and use-of-force experts has testified for the prosecution, saying Chauvin's excessive use of force restricted the flow of oxygen to Floyd's body and caused his heart to stop.
Chauvin's lawyer has said a combination of Floyd's underlying heart ailment and the fentanyl and methamphetamine he had ingested before his arrest caused his death.
