an indication earlier from the judge about tomorrow's schedule on good friday, reporting on it from fox nine in minneapolis said that the judge told the jury on friday they will wrap up witness testimony early on friday hoping to get done between 12 and 1230 ahead of the easter weekend. that will be for tomorrow but again a 20 minute break here. and reminder also that if you miss any of the coverage is available at cspan.org and we'll be hearing the testimony at 8:0n "c-span2". as we wait for the proceedings to resume, will show you some of the testimony from earlier this morning. >> good morning everyone. dw scheduling update, we are actually ahead of what we planted the schedule to be as far as the evidence coming in. for that and other reasons, we

are going to take tomorrow afternoon off and there are things that have to be done without the necessity bring our jury in greatest were going to try to reschedule tomorrow about 12 or 1230 we will expecting you to be out of the building then. so you can have a little - with that, we will proceed. >> thank you. ms. ross to the stand. [inaudible]. [inaudible]. [inaudible].

[inaudible]. >> good morning. come right over here and have a chair. can you raise your right hand. you swear or affirm testimony the truth and nothing but the truth. >> before we begin, i first request to keep your mask off, just so that it will be easier to hear you. and if you need to put it back on, feel free to do that pretty the important thing is to be able to hear you. so we will try to make sure that we can be hard hear you, we will have you state your full name. my name is courtney vat are oss.

>> ms. ross, can you tell us your address generally where you live pretty. >> yes and minneapolis printed. >> how long have you been in the minneapolis area pretty. [inaudible]. >> can you tell the jurors how old you are. it. >> and 45 years old. >> is a strange question predict but there is a reason for it. do you have any children. >> i have two boys. >> and ms. ross did you know george floyd. >> yes. >> when did you meet him. >> i met floyd in august of 2017th. >> can you refer to him as floyd. that's just have you refer to him all of the time.

>> yes. >> we prefer to use mr. floyd so is much as you can, please do that. and so when was it that you first met mr. floyd. >> one of my favorite stories. [inaudible]. >> just so you know, if you feel like you need to take a moment, feel free. we are in no rush here. [inaudible]. >> in august of 2017, i had gotten off of work one night, i

worked at the coffee stop for 22 years now. i was tired and i just cleaned up and close up the shop and went to go visit my sons father who was at harbor light army shelter. he had some difficulties and was saying there. i entered harbor light and when you visit there, you have to ask for person to come down. so i had the receptionist call him down but he didn't seem to

be coming down so i waited in the lobby. i wanted to talk to him about her son. [inaudible]. i was pretty upset. and in the corner of the lobby and at one point floyd came to me. and he had a great deep southern

voice. and he asked if i was doing okay. and i was not okay. i said that i was just waiting for my sons father. [crying]. and he asked if he could pray with me. [crying]. and i was tired and we had been through so much. and for somebody to come up to me and say, can i pray with you. that was so sweet at this time.

[crying]. i had lost a lot of faith in god. >> sorry to interrupt, i need help with a few questions okay. and at that point did you know what mr. george floyd was doing there at the salvation army read. >> i'm sorry, he worked there as a security guard. >> so he came up to you and try to comfort you. >> yes. >> and was that the beginning of your relationship. >> not that part. that was just mr. george floyd. afterwards he had asked me who my sons father was and i said, we are coparenting and we are

not in a relationship. and then his voice dropped about two levels, then he asked me if he could get my number we had our first kiss in the lobby. and that is when our relationship started. >> after that, how close did you become. >> very very close. >> i'm not sure that you tell us when what you recall roughly, of the david the year at least rated. >> august of 2017. >> and up until his death, you continue to be in relationship with him rated. >> yes. >> can you describe how close or how often you saw each other during those three years. >> just about every day we such other as much as we possibly

could. >> went there times when you were discloses other times rated. >> sometimes we would argue and i would take a break or we would take a break. [inaudible]. >> did you learn whether he was new to minneapolis rated. >> oh yeah, our first date, we went over like our histories and he told me he was from houston. >> will kinds of things did the two of you do together when you would get together in the evenings. >> he was new to the city so everything was kind of new to him and everywhere we went was new to him. he made it seem like i was new to my own city. so would like to go, we live right by a lake.

we would like to go down there a lot. and enjoy the outdoors. would go to the sculpture gardens. and we would walk around. we went out to eat a lot. because floyd loved to eat a lot. he was a big man and took a lot of energy to keep him going and he loved food. and so did i. it was funny. >> did you know that if when he was working, prior to his death, and even working someplace. >> yes latin bistro. it is a restaurant, but also nightclub. he was a security guard he was head of security there.

>> did you some point is that job. >> only because of covid-19. shut down because of covid-19. >> and you had met at the salvation army. did you learn eventually that he worked there. >> i knew that he did. i knew that he was at the salvation army security guard there. >> is some point - 19. >> i think maybe a year or so after i met him. >> in the time periods leading up to his death in may of last year, let's talk about january to may of 20 past, how often were you seeing each other. >> at the beginning of the year, we had not seen each other we

had been separated for a little while. but from march until may, we spent everyday together. >> we have a photograph of mr. george floyd and i believe we showed that to you in a prior meeting with you, correct. yes and you recognize. may i offer exhibit 247. >> it is received. >> so i am showing you exhibit 247. [crying]. >> that's okay. >> are you familiar with this photograph. what kind of photograph is that. >> i would call it a dead selfie.

>> and why would you call it that. >> i'm just joking but a lot of dancelike don't have the best angles and when they take a selfie it, it, i don't know. don't take the time to use a certain angle that everybody else does. >> see believe this is a selfie that he took pretty. >> yes, i believe so and i believe outside of the salvation army. too much do you recall roughly when this was taken. >> from the sweater he was wearing, i think probably the fall of 2017. >> did mr. george floyd have any children. >> yes. he had to girls.

>> and did he try to be a part of their lives as much as he could. >> yes. he loved his girls. >> so his daughters were not in minnesota. no. >> no. >> make sure that your voice is loud enough so that everybody can hear. at some point, when you were in mr. george floyd did you learn of his mother's death. >> yes. and. >> do you recall when that was. >> it was in may of 2018. >> did you see, will describe to the jury if you will what you saw and the reaction to his mother's death.

[crying]. [inaudible]. george floyd is what i would call a mama's boy, i could tell from the minute i met him. and when he came back from he kind of was inside of himself. like he was broken. he did not have the same kind of bounce.

he was devastated. he loved his mother so much and i knew that. he talked about her all the time. i knew how he felt. it was so hard. >> thank you. i am sorry to interrupt but i'll see if i can ask some questions to help a little bit okay. so we struggled over his mother's death. >> excuse me, yes. >> going to change topics a bit

okay. >> okay. >> are you okay. >> i am okay and i can do this. >> you've met mr. george floyd at the salvation army and then proceeded to maintain a relationship with him and i have to ask you, was drug use a part of that relationship. >> yes. >> and what kind of drug use was a part of that relationship. >> george floyd and i both had an opioid addiction. >> and you know how like for your own self, how you came to be involved with or what kind of drugs and how you became involved. >> both george floyd and i, our

story is a classic story of how any people get addicted to opioids greeted week both suffered from chronic pain and mine is in my neck and his was in his back. and we both had prescriptions. after the prescriptions that were filled, we got addicted and tried really hard to get rid of that addiction any times. >> and were you each aware of the struggles with opioids predict. >> yes, eventually in our relationship, we said that. >> and you work together on that.

>> absolutely, absolutely. >> how long of a period of time was a struggle go on for yo for both of you. >> addiction in my opinion is a long struggle. so it is something that we both dealt with every day. it is not something that kind of comes and goes. is something that i will be with forever. >> for the periods of time and you're not using opioids. >> absolutely. >> same question about mr. floyd. >> absolutely. sue and were the times when you knew that he was using opioids more than by prescription. >> yes. >> and when you were not using prescription opioids, where did you get them. >> on the black market.

>> and he was doing that as well. >> yes. >> turn your attention to well let me ask you this, you are in a relationship for three years and this use of opioids beyond even prescriptions so we continued throughout this rare time for george floyd. >> yes. >> something you saw yourself and you were aware of it rated. >> yes predict. >> and alessa same question of you, did you struggle during that entire. it. >> and were there times when you would use it together. >> yes. what you saw, what form of opioid and he taken to use. >> oxycontin or coda and roxy

pretty. >> how did he get that. >> i don't know. >> in pill form. >> yes. >> it is not the easiest question for you so i am sorry. and if you don't understand my question, feel free to ask. so there were times when you're in pain, nonprescription opioid pills together. >> yes. there would be other people's prescriptions. >> and whether sometimes, why would you get them to other people prescriptions, we mean pretty. >> to make sure they are safe. >> and were the times that you had to get pills other than from

what you knew somebody else's prescriptions. >> yes. >> were there times when you thought maybe mr. george floyd was using but not with you were in your presence. >> yes. there were times. >> and were the times when you are using together, but i guess that us fully loaded question already. the me ask it this way. it did use the same amounts when you used. >> yes. >> and taking your attention to march 2020, there was a time in march when you knew he was back to using pills, is that right.

[inaudible]. >> i think when you know someone who suffers with any types of addiction, you can first to see changes when they are using again. these are changes i noticed in him. >> in march of 2020 did you also kind of fall back into using. >> yes. >> and, where you to using together back in march or deduced just suspect. >> yes in march we did together.

>> was there. in march when you got the two of you could quit for a while. >> yes a long. >> and going forward it to make a 2020, once there a time when you thought he might be using again. >> yes. >> so in may when you thought, what led you to think that. >> the same type of thing, behavior changes. >> and did you also call back to using opioids in may of 2020. >> he was aware that pretty. >> yes. >> and when he, let me ask you

this. in may of 2020, did you know where he was living. just the general area pretty. >> yes. >> to be in place wasted printed. >> yes in the st. louis park. >> do you have roommates there pretty. >> yes. >> we stated each other's places. >> do you recall the last time you spoke to him. >> it was the day before he died. >> i talked to him at home. >> and did you know what he was going to be doing that night or where he was going to be staying. >> that night i knew that he was well, he said he would be

staying there pretty. >> do you know who sylvia was pretty. >> his friend. >> and so as far as you know, he was going to be staying at a friends house. >> do you recall him saying with a plan was. and why they were going to sylvia's printed. >> wealth floyd had made his minneapolis family here. a lot of the people that he was friends with were from other states and almost everybody had lost their jobs within that time. name is feeling kind of lonely and just wanted to make out with his friends of a lot of people that worked at the salvation army with him, and other people that stayed there, they were just kind of being a family.

>> to sylvia work at the salvation army as well pretty so you work from there pretty. >> yes predict. >> that was lesson that you talk to him, the sunday before his death. >> yes. >> you told the jurors early that sort of the classic story leading to opioid addiction. the injuries prescriptions, and mr. floyd had he been an active person physically. >> yes. he was very active. >> when he mean by that. when times of things. >> well like to work out every day. he lifted weights far beyond anything that almost everything today he did. he did push-ups and pull-ups and just within his house.

anyone out and about, he was still running, biking, he loved playing sports for the neighborhood kids. anybody who would pick up any type of ball, he would play instantly. so he was always involved in that. he would do anything physical. we would take walks and he was pretty much running to the store. >> when you are with him, had either of you been exercising or just hanging out together, ever complain of shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. and did he have well, did he have sports injuries that he

complained up. you had mentioned earlier, his neck. >> is not and neck and shoulder blades and down to his lower back. >> despite him having these pains, he was still do the physical activities. >> yes. and he did those things that led to his prescriptions or injuries that led to his prescriptions for opioids. ... ...

>> good morning, ms. ross. >> good morning. >> thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you. >> i'm sorry to hear about your struggles with opioid addiction. >> thank you. >> thank you for sharing that with the jury. i have some follow-up questions about your experiences with mr. floyd. before i get into that i want to just go through a few things with you.

you have been interviewed by law enforcement and prosecutors several times in connection with this case, is that correct? >> yes. >> the first interview you provided was in may, on may 31 of 2020 with an agent from the bureau of criminal apprehension >> as well as an fbi agent, correct? >> yes. >> and have you had an opportunity to review the transcript of that interview, that first interview? >> yes. >> you were also then you had a meeting on december 14 with the prosecution team in preparation for this case, right? >> december 14? >> december 14. would you -- >> i believe you. >> okay. then you also had an interview back in june of 2020 with just

the fbi agents and some prosecutors from the federal government, right? >> yes. >> and then you met again with prosecutors on february 21 of this year, 25th, excuse me, of this year? >> that sounds right. >> and then finally on march 31 which i believe was just yesterday, right? and you understand again that you at least the meetings with law enforcement they were recorded, transcribed and you had opportunities to review both of those transcripts? >> yes. >> and, in fact, i think yesterday when you met with prosecutors you went through the fbi transcript from that meeting back in june? >> yes, i did. >> okay. so i know that you and mr. floyd both struggled with opioid addiction, and i just need to ask some kind of follow-up questions on that and timeframe, all right?

so when you first met mr. floyd throughout come you would agree that throughout the course of the relationship you and mr. floyd both had a struggle with opioid addiction? >> yes. >> and there would be periods of time where you would both be using and there would be periods of time where neither one of you would be using, right? >> yes, correct. >> and there would be periods of time where one or the other may be using, right? >> looks like he may been using and he wasn't or vice versa? >> yes. >> all right. you knew at some point mr. floyd had gone through some treatment programs, right? >> yes. >> and i kind of want to just zero in on the timeframe from january of 2020 until the, his death in may, would that be okay? >> yes. >> i know this is difficult. i'm sorry we have to go through

this, but -- so i kind of want to work backwards in a sense. >> okay. >> in terms of your statements. >> okay. >> well, let me strike that. you, you testified that there were periods of time where you would get a prescription or mr. floyd would get a prescription for opiates legally, meaning through a doctor, right? >> yes. >> you would go to a doctor and get a prescription and you would both fill those, right? >> yes. >> and there were other times where you would buy other people's prescriptions from them? >> right. >> and then there were times when those were not available and so you would have to buy different types of pills, right? unknown sources, so to speak.

>> yes, right. >> and are you familiar with morries hall? >> yes. >> and was morries hall the person you and floyd bought controlled substances from? >> we had. >> i am going to ask, going to show you a photograph. just to you. you will be the only when you can see it at this type it is -- at this time. it has been previously marquess defense exhibit 1006. >> okay. >> can you see that photograph? >> no. >> just her. >> no. >> sorry. can you see that photograph? >> yes. >> is that the person you know to be morries hall? >> yes.

and can you generally describe what he is wearing? >> red hat, red pants and a black and white shirt. >> and that is up in the upper right-hand corner, would you agree that has the date of may 25, 2020? >> yes. >> and that's the person that both you and mr. floyd had previously purchase controlled substances from? >> yes. now, in the january and february timeframe were you and mr. floyd clean and free from using opioids? >> i'm sorry. can you repeat that? >> in the january and february of 2020 timeframe, did you and mr. floyd, where you clean and sober? >> january? we, we were not really talking to each other so i don't know. >> see you guys were on a break

at that point, , right? and then you reconnected sometime in march, right? >> yes. >> was an incident in march that required mr. floyd to be hospitalized? >> yes. >> and that was, can you describe what that incident was? >> which date are you -- >> march when he was hospitalized. >> we went to the hospital a couple of times in march. >> okay. he was hospitalized for fore extended period of time in march? >> yes. >> that's incident i'm talking about. i understand he went once because he hurt his hand like had his hand on class or something and that was a short hospital stay? >> yes. >> but then there was an extended hospital stay in march. can you describe to the jury what led up to that hospital stay? >> yes. floyd, i went to go pick floyd up from his house that night. i i thought i was taking him to work. he wasn't feeling good.

his stomach really hurt. he was doubled over in pain. just wasn't feeling well and he said he had to go to the hospital so i took him straight to the hospital. we went to the er and they were checking him all in the er, and it was getting late and i had to get home to my son so i left that friday night. >> did you later learn that that was due to an overdose? >> yes. >> object, your honor. >> overruled. >> you spent several days within the hospital, correct? >> yes. >> and did you learn what caused that overdose? >> no. >> at that time frame did you learn that mr. floyd was taking anything other than opioids? >> no.

>> you did not know that he had taken heroin at that time? >> no. >> now then in march of 2020 you got some pills, right? remember describing that? >> yes. >> can you describe what those pills were like? >> how, like physically? >> physically. >> well, they look different to me than a normal pill. they seemed like they were thicker. >> with a uniform in their size? >> they weren't. >> did they have markings on them? >> yes, they did. >> and you and mr. floyd both had those pills?

>> yes. >> did you consume some of those pills? >> i did. >> did they have the same affect on you as they did as your other types of opioids your taken in the past? >> no. >> what was the effect this time? what was different? >> usually opioid to me is like a pain reliever. it's something that is, you know kind of relaxing, take your pain away. it's a pill. that time it seemed like it was a really strong stimulant. i couldn't sleep all night. i felt very jittery. >> you felt what? >> very jittery. >> so these were pills that were not bought from someone who do need to have a valid prescription for -- >> no. >> were these pills purchased from mr. hall? >> no.

>> so when -- and where these pills before after mr. floyd was hospitalized for his overdose? >> i don't remember. >> what you described when you pick them up that night so you must have reconnected because a little bit of a a break, righ, reconnected? when you picked them up that night he was in incredible pain, doubled over? >> right. >> his stomach hurt very bad? >> yes. >> now, i want to focus our attention on your statement that you gave to the fbi. and again you had an opportunity to review the transcript in its entirety, right? >> yes. >> and you have had an opportunity to answer questions

of the, that the prosecution had of you regarding the statement as late as it yesterday, right? >> what you and i have never met before, right? >> not that i believe. >> and so i have not had an opportunity yet to ask you about some of the information in your statement? >> no. >> when you met with the fbi, you informed fbi agents that -- >> i'm going to object. in proper form for cross-examination. -- in proper form.

>> we will wait for him to formulate the question. >> thank you. >> let me back up a little bit. did you know mr. floyd to spend a lot of time with mr. morries hall? >> i wouldn't say a lot of time but he spent time with him, yes. >> right. would you agree that that was kind of from time to time that he would spend time with him? >> yes. >> sometimes it's unavailable and we appreciate your patience. ms. eldridge. [inaudible]

>> sometimes it's unavoidable here hold on. counsel, chambers. briefly. >> [inaudible conversations] >> now, the pills that were purchased in march that you described, did you know that those were purchased from mr.

hall? >> what -- >> the pills that you described in march of -- >> no, i didn't know. >> okay. but those of the pills that kept you up you said all night, right? >> yes. >> did those pills continue to be around from march through may? >> i don't know. >> do you recall the fbi asking whether you -- >> overhead and stand up first. raise your right hand. do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth and nothing but the truth? >> i do. >> have a seat. and if you could pull up to the microphone and also if you feel comfortable doing so if you could remove your mask and we could hear you better. >> okay. >> i will leave mine on a