Former Home of Derek Chauvin Trial Expert Smeared With Pig's Blood

Pig's blood was on early Saturday smeared across the former home of the use-of-force expert who testified for the defense at Derek Chauvin's trial. Police responded to a home in Santa Rosa, Calif., around 3am after the homeowner reported a group of people dressed in black throwing the blood, as well as a pig's head, at the home. They fled as 911 was called, NBC News reports. Former police instructor Barry Brodd, however, has not lived there in years and doesn't even live in the state anymore, CNN reports. At the former Minneapolis cop's trial for the killing of George Floyd, Brodd testified Chauvin "was acting with objective reasonableness" when he knelt on Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes, and was not applying deadly force.

"It appears the suspects in this vandalism were targeting Mr. Brodd for his testimony," police said in a press release. "Because Mr. Brodd no longer lives in the city of Santa Rosa, it appears the victim was falsely targeted." Less than an hour later, a large statue of a hand at the Santa Rosa Plaza Mall was also smeared with pig's blood; a sign vandals left in front of the statue showed a pig and the words "Oink oink." Police believe the same suspects are responsible for both crimes. They are accused of felony vandalism, and have not yet been identified. The news comes as Minneapolis and other US cities are on alert for the coming Chauvin verdict, CNN reports: Closing arguments start Monday, and then jury deliberations begin. (More Derek Chauvin stories.)