nothing further your honor. >> have you and your experience ever responded to a scene of someone under the influence of methamphetamines western mark. >> yes. >> you methamphetamines cause that same restrictionin the eyeball ? >> from my understanding, no reedit in fact dilated. >> nothing further. >> thank you, you may sitdown . >> we will take a lunch recess and try to reconvene at 1:30. >> it's day 4 of the trial of former minneapolis lease officer derek tran chauvin.

they're taking a lunch break, sounds like itwill be an hour . earlier today the judge peter cahill announced the trial was in his words moving had briskly and an afternoon session will not be needed tomorrow, friday so we look for the first week of this trial to wrap around lunchtime reedit if you've missed any of our coverage today earlier this week it's all available at our website at c-span.org or wheat where we are today at 8 pm eastern area in the spring we expect it to be an hour will still use some of the testimonyfrom earlier today . including from courtney ross who was george floyd's girlfriend. >> good morning members of the jury. just to give you a scheduling update, we are actually ahead of what we plan or scheduled to be as far as the evidence coming in. for that and for other reasons that are not relevant , we're going to take tomorrow afternoon off as

there are other things that have to be done without necessity of bringing our jury in so we will try to recess tomorrow around 12, 1230 and will be ordering lunches because we expect to be out by then just so you can have a little idea where you're going tomorrow. with that we will proceed. mister frank. >> the statement of courtney ross to the stand.

>> good morning. right up here and if you could stand by this chair. raise your right hand please. do you swear or affirm the testimony you are about to give will be the truth,whole truth and nothing but the truth ? >> i do. >> before we begin, you anticipated my first question , keep your mask on and it will be easier, feel free. the important thing is we be able to hear you so what do is start to ensure we can be here and you can't have you state your full name . >> my name is courtney bhatia

. >>. >> ms. ross can you tell the jurors about your address but generally where you live. >> i'm in northeast minneapolis. >> ,have you been in the northeast minneapolis area and mark. >> my entire life, born and raised. >> can you tell the jurors how old you are? >> i'm 45 years old. >> seems like a strange question but there's a reason for it . you have anychildren ? >> i have two boys. >> miss ross, did you know george floyd? ? >> i met floyd in august 2016 . >> you referred to him as floyd. >> all the time. >> that's how you referred to him all the time. >> yes.

>> we prefer to use mister floyd so as much as you cando that but i understand that's how you knew him . so when was it that you first met mister floyd. >> you want me to tell the story? >>. >>. >> you need to take a moment, feel free. where in no rush year. >> in august of 2017, i had a , i had gotten out of work one night. i worked at a coffee shop for

23 years now. part-time. and i was tired and i had just cleaned up and closed up shop and i went to go visit my sons father who was staying at harbor heights. he had had some difficulties and was staying there. i entered harbor heights and when you visit there you have to ask for a person to come down and say you're visiting them so i have the receptionist call him down but he didn't seem to be coming down so i waited in the lobby and i wanted to

talk about our son's birthday . [solving] i was pretty upset. i was in the corner of the lobby and -- at one point. [sobbing] someone came up to me. it was this great deep southern voice and he asked

me are you okay, sis? and i wasn't okay. i said i was waiting formy sons father . [sobbing] he said can i pray with you? i was so tired and it meant so much, this kind person to come up to me and say can i pray with you. in this lobby. at the time i had lost a lot

of faith in god. >> sorry to interrupt but i just need help with a few questions. at that point, did you know what mister floyd was doing there at thesalvation army ? >> yes. he worked there as a security guard. >> so he came up to youand tried to comfort you ? >> yes. >> and was that the beginning of your relationship? >> well, not that part. actually that was just floyd. afterwards, he asked me who my sons father was and i said we are coparenting and we are not in a relationship and

that's when his voice dropped low, even though it was deep already and he asked me could he get my number and we had our first kiss in the lobby. that's when our relationship started. >> after that, how close did you become? >> we were pretty close. >> so i'm not sure you told us when, do you recall roughly not the date but the year atleast ? >> it was august 2015. >> and up until his death did you continue to be in a relationship with him? >> yes. >> can you describe how often you saw each other during those three years? >> just about every day, we saw each other as much as we could. >> were there times you weren't as close as other times ? >> we argued sometimes and

might have taken a break. >> like most couples. >> did you learn whether he was new to minneapolis? >> we went over our histories . >> what kinds of things did the two of you do together, when you got together and did things? >> we were new to the city so everything was kind of new to him. he made it seem like i was new to my own city. we like to go to, he lived by the lake and we liked to go down there a lot and enjoy

the outdoors. we like to go to thesculpture garden . and just walk around. we went out to eat a lot. floyd loved to eat a lot. hewas a big man . it took a lot of energy to keep them going and he loved food so did i. it was fun. it was an adventure always. >> did you know where he was working prior to his death, and even working someplace? >> he was working at latin bistro. >> congress is a restaurant, but is also a nightclub. in the evening. >> what did he do that? >> he was head of security there. >> and did he at some point lose that job west and mark.

>> only because of the covid. >> and you had met at salvation army, did you learn eventually he worked there. >> i knew that evening he worked at the salvation army. >> it was a security guard there. >> and at some point that job ended. >> yes, i think maybe a year or so after the pandemic. >> and in the time leading up to his death in may of last year, let's talk about january to may when he passed . how often were the two of you seeing each other? >> since 2020, at the beginning of the year we had not seen each other, we kind of separated for a little while but from march until

may we spent every day together. >> and we have a photograph of mister floyd, we show that to you at a prior meeting with you, correct? and you recognize that as him . >> i'm going to offer exhibit 247. >> 247 is received. >> i'm showing you exhibit 247. >> sorry. >> so are you familiar with this photograph? >> yes. >> what kind ofphotograph is it ? >> i would call it a dad selfie. >> why would you call it that? >> i'm just a lot of dad like

don't have the best angle when they take selfie's, it's , i don't know. they don't take the time to maybe do certain angles. >> so this is you believe a selfie that he took area. >> i believe it was at the salvation army. >> you recall when thiswas taken ? >> from the sweater he was wearing i think it was the fall of 2017. >> did mister floyd have any children? >> yes. >> how many children did he have often mark. >> two girls. >> and did he try to be a

part of their life as much as hecould often mark . >> yes, he loved his girls area it's hard being in minnesota . >> 'sdaughters were not in minnesota. >> know. >> i want to make sure that everybody hears. at some point, when you were, when you knew mister floyd, did you learn of his mother's life? >> yes. >> can you recall when it was ? >> it was in may of 2018. >> did you see, described if you would for the jury what you saw in hisreaction to his mother's death . >>. >> part of me.

>> floyd is what i would call a mama's boy, i could tell. from the minute i met him. and when he came back, to houston, he seemed kind of like a shell of himself. like he was broken. he seemed so sad. he didn't have the same kind of bounce that he had. he was devastated.

he loved his mama so much and i knew that. we talked about it all the time area i knew how he felt. it's so hard to lose a parent. that you loved like that. >> thank you and i'm sorry to interrupt but if i can ask a question it's helpful. so he struggled with grief over his mother's death. >> yes. >> and going to change topics , okay? do you need a minute or are you okay?

>> i'm okay. >> you met mister floyd at salvation army. and then proceeded to maintain a relationship with him and i have to ask you if drug use was a part of that relationship. >> yes. >> what kind of drug use was a part of that relationship? >> floyd and i both suffered with opioid addiction. >> for your own selves, do you know how you came to be involved, what kind of drugs and how you became involved with them? >> both george and i, our story is a classic story of

how many people get addicted to opioids. we both suffered from chronic pain, mine was in my neck and is was in his back. we both had prescriptions. but after prescriptions, those were filled and we got addicted and tried really hard to break that addiction many times. >> were you aware of each other's photos with opioids? >> yes, eventually in our relationship we share that. >> and did you work together on that? >> absolutely. >> and for how long of a period did this go on for

both of you? >> addiction, it might have been, it's something that we don't with every day. it's not something that kind of comes and goes. it's something you do forever . >> were there period of time when you are not using opioids westernmark . >> yes. >> same question with regards to mister floyd. >> absolutely. >> when their new did you know there were times when he was using opioids more than five prescription? >> yes. >> when you weren't using prescription opioids, where did you get? >> on the street, on the black market. >> and you knew he was doing that as well.

>> yes. >> and turning your attention to well, let me ask you this. you were in a relationship for three years area and to give his use of opioids even beyond prescriptions you continued throughout that three-year period. >> yes. >> it's something you saw yourself and were aware of. i've asked the same question of you, did you struggle using during the entire period and were there times when you would use together western mark. >> yes. >> for what you saw mister floyd using, what form of opioid did he typically use? >> oxycodone and any kind of proxy.

>> how did he use it. >> he would swallow them. >> so in pill form. >> yes. >> not the easiest question to ask, i'm sorry. if you don't understand the question let me know. there were times when he was in non-opioid pills together? >> yes. they would be other people's prescription pills. >> why would you get them through other people's prescriptions? >> because they were safe. >> where there times you had to get those pills from people other than other people's prescriptions. >> yes.

>> were there times when mister floyd wasn't using or maybe it was not in your presence? >> yes. >> were there times when you were using together, i guess that's a badly worded question already. did you use the same amount as mister floyd? >> yes. >> taking your attention to march of 2020, there was a time in march when you knew it was back to using pills, is that right? >> i thought he had changed. >> what do you mean bythat ?

>> i think when you know someone who suffers with any type of addiction, you can start to see changes when they are using again. there's just slight behavioral changes that i noticed made me suspect. >> in march 2020 and you also fall back into using? >> yes. >> and were you to using together back in march or you suspect mister floyd ? >> in march, yes, we did use together. >> and was there a train at

period after march where you thought you were able to quit for a while. >> going forward to make was there atime when you thought you might be using again ? >> yes. >> so in may once you thought that, what did youend up thinking about that ? >> it was the same type of thing. behavior changes in floyd. >> did you also fall back to using opioids in may 2020? >> yes. >> and he was aware of that. >> yes. >> let me ask you this.

in may 2020, did you know where he was living? just the general area. >> yes. >> did he have his own place? >> yes, he was based in st. louis park. >> did he haverespected. >> to. >> did the two of you live together ? >> we stayed at each other places but we didn't live together. >> so in may 2020, do you recall the last timeyou spoke with him ? >> yes. >> do you recall when that was in relation? >> it was the day before he died. >> how did you talk to him? >> by phone. >> did you know what he was going to be doing that night or where he was going to be staying? >> that night i believe he said he was going to be staying with relatives, with sylvia. >> did you know who sylvia is

? >> his friend. >> as far as you know hewas going to be staying at a friends house . and do you recall him saying what the plan was or why they were going to stay there? >> well, floyd had made his minneapolis family hereto and a lot of people he was friends with were from other states and almost everybody had lost their job within that time. and he was feeling kind of lonely and he wanted to hang out with his friends and he saw a lot of people that worked with the salvationarmy with him , other people that were there and they were kind of being a family. >> and was sylvia, did she work at the salvation army to? >> yes.

>> that was the last time you talked to him was the day before his death . >> yes. >> you told the jurors earlier that sort of the classic story leading to an opioid addiction, having injuries and a prescription. had mister floyd been an active person physically? >> yes, he was very active. >> .. every single day. he did push-ups, pull-ups, this was in his house. either he went out and about he go running, hiking, he loved the

neighborhood kids, anybody really. any type of ball, he would play instantly. he was always involved in that. we learned paddle boating, we pick up rocks, he'd run to the store. [laughter] >> when you were with him, whether exercising or just hanging out whatever, ever complain of shortness of breath or difficulty breathing? >> no. >> did he have -- well, did he have injuries he complained of? you mentioned earlier is neck. >> is neck and neck to shoulder

blade down to his lower back. >> despite that, he remained physically active. >> oh yes. >> when he did those things that led to prescriptions for the injuries led to prescriptions? the injuries he had to his neck. >> oh yes. [background noises] >> i think i would ask you, is there a time 2020 when to a few

took the test for covered? >> yes. >> did you learn the results? >> yes. his was positive, mine was negative we must do you recall when that was? >> i believe late march. >> so because of that, quarantined for a while? >> yes, he was already quarantining but also then had covid. >> thank you, that's the only question i had.

[background noises] [background noises] >> good morning missus ross. >> good morning. >> thank you for being with us this morning. i'm sorry 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 go through a few things with you. you've been interviewed by law enforcement and prosecutors

several times in connection with this case. >> yes. >> the first interview you provided was may 31, 2020 with an agent from the bureau, nathan adams as well as an fbi agent and christopher plan. >> yes. >> have you had the opportunity to review transcripts of that interview? >> yes. >> you were also had a meeting december 14 with prosecution team in preparation for this case, right? >> december 14? >> december 14. would you dispute me? >> i believe you. >> okay. then you had an interview in june of 2020 with just the fbi agents and some prosecutors from

the federal government. >> yes. >> and you met again with prosecutors february 21 of this year, 25th excuse me of this year? >> that sounds right. >> then march 31, which i believe was yesterday, right? and you understand again that at least those meetings with law enforcement were recorded, transcribed and you have opportunity to review both of those transcripts. >> yes. >> yesterday when you met with prosecutors you went through the fbi's transcript from that meeting. >> yes, i did. >> okay. so i know and mr. floyd struggled with opioid addiction but i just need to ask follow-up questions on that and timeframe. all right? when you first met mr. floyd, he

would agree throughout the course of your relationship you and mr. floyd both struggled with opioid addiction? >> yes. >> there were periods of time where you would both be using in periods of time when neither one of you would be? >> correct. >> period of time where the other may be using, right? you may have been using and he wasn't or vice versa? >> yes. >> mr. floyd had gone through some treatment programs, right? >> yes. >> i kind of want to zero in on timeframe from january 2020 until his death in may. >> yes. >> i know this is difficult and i'm sorry we have to go through this. i want to work backward in a

sense. >> okay. >> in terms of your statement. let me describe that. you testified there were peers of time you would get the prescription or floyd would get a prescription for opioid legally, through a doctor. >> yes. >> you'd go to a doctor and get a prescription and use both. >> yes. >> there were other times where you would buy other peoples prescriptions from it and then there were times when they were not available so you would have to buy other kinds, unknown sources? >> yes.

>> are you mail your with -- [inaudible] >> yes. >> was this the first time you and mr. floyd bought controlled substances? >> we had. >> going to show you a photograph and you will be the only one this time, previously marked with six defense exhibit 1006. can you see that photograph? >> yes. >> is that him? >> yes. >> can you generally describe what he is wearing?

>> red pants, black and white shirt. >> and that is the upper right-hand corner, would you agree it has the date of may 25, 2020? >> yes. >> that's the person both you and mr. floyd previously purchased controlled substance from? >> yes. >> in the january and february timeframe, were you and mr. floyd clean and free from using opioids? >> i'm sorry, can you repeat that? >> sure. january and february 2020 timeframe, did you and mr. floyd, where you clean and sober? >> we weren't really talking to each other. >> so you are on the brink at that time.

>> yes. >> then you reconnected in march? >> yes. >> was there an incident in march that required mr. floyd to be hospitalized? >> yes. >> can you describe what that was? >> which date? >> march when he was hospitalized. >> we went to the hospital together. >> he was hospitalized for an extended period of time. >> yes. >> that's the incident i was talking about. i understand he went because he hurt his hand, cut his hand on class or something and i was a short stay. >> yes. >> there was an extended hospital stay then. can you describe to the jury what led up to that hospital stay? >> yes. i went to pick him up from his house that night, i thought i was taking him to work. he wasn't feeling good. he was doubled over in pain

because he wasn't feeling well and 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 out in the er and it was getting late and i had to get home to my son that friday night. >> you later learned that was due to an overdose? amicus. >> you spent several days at the hospital with him? >> yes. >> did you learn what caused that overdose? >> no. >> at that time frame, did you learn mr. floyd was taking anything other than opioids? >> no. >> you did not know he had taken

heroin at that time? >> no. >> in march 2020, you got some pills, right? do you remember describing that? >> yes. >> can you describe what the pills were like? >> like physically? >> physically. >> well they looked different to me than a normal pill, like they were the group. >> where they uniform in size? >> they want. >> did they have markings? >> yes, they did. >> you and mr. floyd have them? >> yes. >> did you consume some of them? >> i did. >> did they have the same effect

on you as they did your other opioids. >> no. >> was the effect this time? what was different? >> usually in opioid to me is a pain reliever and something relaxing and takes your pain away. this pill that time seemed like a really strong stimulant. i couldn't sleep all night. i felt very jittery. >> what? >> i felt jittery. >> so these were pills that were not thought from someone had a valid prescription. >> no. >> where did you purchase.

[inaudible] >> for these pills before or after mr. floyd was hospitalized for his overdose? >> i don't remember. >> you described when you pick him up that night, you reconnected because you had a bit of a break, reconnected when he picked him up that night, he was in incredible pain, doubled over. >> yes. >> his stomach hurt very that. >> yes. >> i'm going to focus our attention on your statement you gave to the fbi. again, you had opportunity to review that transcript in its entirety. >> yes. >> you had opportunity to answer questions, the prosecution regarding that statement.

>> -- you and i have never met before? >> not that i believe. >> so i have not had opportunity to ask you about the information in your statement. >> no when you met with the fbi, you informed fbi agents -- [inaudible] [background noises] [background noises]

>> thank you. >> let me back up a little bit. did you know mr. floyd to spend a lot of time with mr. maury? >> ives -- [inaudible] >> and would you agree that was on time to time he would spend time with him? >> yes. >> and you didn't like that? >> i did like him. >> what mr. floyd be honest with you when he told you he went, when he was with him? >> sustain, you do not have to

answer now. >> you knew mr. floyd would purchase mr. narcotics from weisel? >> i wouldn't know that. i speculated. >> do you recall fbi agents, did mr. floyd purchase controlled substances from mr. maurice? >> yes. >> do you recall saying yes? >> i did say yes but i did not see it with my own eyes. >> now the pills that were purchased in march that you describe, did you know they were purchased from mr. hall?

>> what? >> the pills you described in march -- >> i did not. >> those are the pills? >> yes. >> did the pills continue to be around march through may? >> i don't know. >> do you recall fbi asking whether you are getting the pain pills from the same source march to may? >> i do not recall. >> refresh your recollection to review of transcript? >> yes. [background noises]

[inaudible] >> okay. [background noises] [background noises] i don't even know what i mean by some of those things i said. [inaudible]

[inaudible] [background noises] [background noises] [background noises]

>> you had an opportunity to review that portion of the transcript. >> yes. >> would you agree fbi agents asked you march to may to continue to purchase those pills from the same source? did they ask you that? >> they did. >> you responded once in a while when we were desperate. >> that's what it says, yes. i do not recall saying that. >> overruled. >> okay. [background noises] >> is to floyd overdose was the beginning of march 2020, he was hospitalized march 6. >> yes and he was in the hospital ten or 11 days, something like that?

>> no, five. >> five days. when you took him to the hospital, did you notice phone from his mouth? >> i noticed some foam building in the corners. >> some substance. >> yes, sorry. >> parted? >> all cleared. >> you are asked a couple questions in terms of whether the overdose was caused by heroin, do you recall that? >> yes. >> you said you didn't know. >> i didn't. >> do you remember telling the fbi the overdose was from heroin? >> i was speculating.

>> do you recall telling the fbi where or whom the source of the heroin was? >> i do remember that, i was speculating. >> was that from mr. hall? >> no. >> was a from on the hill? >> yes. >> did you know mr. floyd to purchase drugs from ms. hill as well? >> no. >> do you recall being asked whether he purchased drugs from her previously? >> i do not remember that, no. >> what it refresh your recollection to review a copy of your transcript? been a kiss. >> they will not be a question before you at this time. we'll go back and ask.

[inaudible] >> i'm sorry -- [inaudible] >> this is to refresh your memory so there's not a question before you right now. [background noises]

[inaudible] >> all go back. >> does that reflect your recollection? >> yes. >> you were asked who the woman was he would have gotten that from in your response was from on the hill. >> yes. i was speculating. i did not know that. >> understood. >> you said you liked getting drugs from her and you said yes, correct? >> that's in the transcript, yes. >> now those same pills you ultimately got the same pills from march or similar pills in may 2020, correct? >> we got pills in may that reminded me of the same feeling.

i don't know if they were the same or where they came from. >> okay. so you had a second experience with those pills or similar feeling. >> a similar experience, yes. >> that was approximately a week before mr. floyd's passing? >> yes. >> by similar experience, do you recall telling the fbi when you had that, you felt like you were going to die? >> i don't remember saying that but i did see it in the transcript. >> is that how you felt like you are going to die? >> i don't remember feeling that way, i don't recall even saying that. >> you and mr. floyd, i'm assuming like most couple had

feelings for each other. what was it for you? >> mama. >> approximately a week prior to mr. floyd's death, you and mr. floyd again purchased pills from mr. maurice hall, correct? >> i believe so, i am not sure. >> do you recall telling the fbi you bought pills from mr. hall one week prior to his death?

>> yes but i was not there, i didn't see anything. >> when you met with prosecutors, did you tell them you were in the car of the hotel when the pills were purchased? >> yes. >> you are on the phone with him at the time? >> yes. >> you heard a voice in the background it was a voice he recognized as mr. hall? >> i thought so, yes. >> between mr. hall -- excuse me, mr. floyd's hospitalization through march and quarantining and all of that, march and april, mr. floyd had been clean during that timeframe? >> part of me? >> i'm sorry, i want a timeframe. after mr. floyd was hospitalized

in march, were quarantining together and spending a lot of time together in march, april and may. >> yes. >> the majority of that time, mr. floyd was clean, right? >> yes. >> your belief that mr. floyd started using again about two weeks prior to his death, correct? >> i saw a change in his behavior. >> that's when you noticed changes in hips behavior and you describe the changes in his behavior in that timeframe, right? >> yes. >> do you recall telling the fbi there were times he be up and bouncing around and times he be unintelligible? >> i don't recall that