Cops’ body cameras reveal details of George Floyd’s death

AS GEORGE Floyd told Minneapolis police officers that he couldn’t breathe more than 20 times in the moments before he died, the officer who pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck dismissed his pleas, saying: “It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk.” This is according to transcripts of body camera video recordings made public this week.

The transcripts for the body camera videos of officers Thomas Lane and J Kueng provide the most detailed account of what happened as police were taking Floyd into custody on May 25, and reveal more of what was said after Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, was put on the ground.

“You’re going to kill me, man,” Floyd said.

“Then stop talking, stop yelling. It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk,” said Derek Chauvin, the white officer who held his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes, even after Floyd stopped moving. “They’ll kill me. They’ll kill me. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe,” Floyd said.

The transcripts were made public on Wednesday as part of Lane’s request to have the case against him dismissed. Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, said in a memorandum that there wasn’t probable cause to charge his client.

Gray painted an image of a rookie officer who trusted Chauvin, a senior officer, after Floyd had been acting erratically, struggling and hurting himself during an arrest. Gray said that once Floyd was on the ground, Lane had asked twice if officers should roll Floyd on his side, and Chauvin said no. Gray also submitted the body camera footage, but that was not immediately made public. The transcripts show Floyd appearing co-operative at times but becoming agitated as he begged not to be put in a squad car.

“Oh man, God don’t leave me man, please man, please man,” he begged, later adding: “I’ll do anything y’ll tell me to, man… I’m just claustrophobic, that’s it.” Gray wrote that Floyd started to thrash back and forth and was “hitting his face on the glass in the squad and began to bleed from his mouth.”

Officers brought Floyd to the ground and, “the plan was to restrain him so he couldn’t move and hurt himself anymore”, Gray wrote.

Chauvin is charged with seconddegree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane, Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane was holding Floyd’s legs, Kueng was at Floyd’s midsection and Thao was watching bystanders. All four officers were fired. Prosecutors planned to oppose the motion to dismiss.

Gray also submitted a transcript of Lane’s interview with state investigators and police department training materials on restraint holds. Gray wrote that the evidence exonerated his client and that it is not “fair or reasonable” for Lane to stand trial.

Gray said his client’s body camera video showed Lane went in the ambulance and helped with CPR. Gray said Floyd was acting erratically and had foam at his mouth. Floyd said he was scared and had been playing basketball.