Former California home of Chauvin defense witness vandalized with pig's head, possibly blood

The former home of an expert witness for attorneys defending former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the George Floyd trial was vandalized with a pig's head and what appeared to be blood after the witness testified last week.

Police in Santa Rosa, Calif., said in a statement April 17 that the incident occurred at about 3 a.m. Saturday when a group of people threw the pig's head onto the house's front porch and smeared what appeared to be animal blood on the front of the home, resulting in about $400 worth of damage.

The house previously belonged to Barry Brodd, a use-of-force expert who on Tuesday testified in the trial. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly three minutes before Floyd died on May 25, 2020. Chauvin faces charges of murder and manslaughter in connection with the death.

Brodd said Chauvin "was acting with objective reasonableness" and did not use deadly force when he knelt on George Floyd's neck, according to CNN.

"It appears the suspects in this vandalism were targeting Mr. Brodd for his testimony," police said. "Mr. Brodd has not lived at the residence for a number of years and is no longer a resident of California."