A high-ranking Minneapolis police official testified at the trial of Derek Chauvin on Friday, saying the former officer's use of force on George Floyd was 'totally unnecessary' and 'just uncalled for' given Floyd was already handcuffed.

Asked by Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Matthew Frank about his assessment of Chauvin's use of force, Lieutenant Rick Zimmerman, who is the head of the homicide unit and the first officer in charge at the Minneapolis Police Department, said it was "totally unnecessary," before adding, "pulling him down to the ground, face down, and putting your knee on the neck for that amount of time is just uncalled for. I saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger. If that's what they felt. And that's what they would have to have feel to be able to use that kind of force."

He added, "Once you secure or hand-cuff a person, you need to get them out of the prone position as soon as possible because it restricts their breathing," saying kneeling on a person's neck would be considered deadly force, and that it is the officer's responsibility to ensure the well-being a person in handcuffs.

Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter and third-degree murder after being filmed kneeling on George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes before he was pronounced dead.