FORMER US police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering George Floyd, refused to testify in his own defence today, invoking the right to remain silent.

He was asked a number of questions in the courtroom in Saint Paul, Minnesota, about his decision, which came as his legal team prepared to call its final witnesses.

Defence lawyer Eric Nelson asked whether they had previously discussed his decision, to which he replied: “Correct.”

“To say we’ve gone kind of back and forth on the matter is kind of understatement, isn’t that right?” Mr Nelson asked.

“Yes, it is,” Mr Chauvin replied. “I will invoke my fifth amendment privilege today,” he told the court, citing his right under the US constitution to remain silent.

He denies responsibility for causing the death of Mr Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes. The incident triggered global protests by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tensions are running high in Minneapolis after black man Duante Wright was shot dead by a white police officer on Sunday.

Kim Potter, who fired the shot and subsequently quit the police, was arrested on Wednesday.