4th August, 2020
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Footage of Police body cameras showed a frightened George Floyd begging police not to lock him in a squad car, shortly before he lost consciousness under a police officer’s knee.
The leaked material was first posted by the Daily Mail on its site Monday, and matches some of what was shown to NBC News at the courthouse during pre-trial hearings for the four Minneapolis police officers who have been criminally charged in connection to Floyd’s death.
Police were called to a convenience store on May 25 investigating a possible counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd was parked a short distance away and an officer almost immediately pulled his weapon on the startled man, video showed.
According to police camera footage, Floyd appeared terrified and emotionally distraught, after seeing police officers with a gun pointed at him.
“Please don’t shoot me. Please, man,” an alarmed Floyd said. “Please, man. I just lost my mom, man. Please don’t shoot me, Mr. Officer, please. ”
Officers pulled Floyd out of his car and handcuffed him over the $20 bill, before marching him to a nearby police vehicle where he pleaded not to be put inside.
“I am claustrophobic, for real,” Floyd told them. “I’m going to die in here. I’m going to die, man.”
Floyd eventually sat down on the back seat, without his legs completely inside.
“I’m claustrophobic. I’m claustrophobic. I got anxiety,” he pleaded. “When I stop breathing, when I stop breathing it’s going to go off on me, man.”
Officers then struggled to pull Floyd inside, the bodycam video showed.
Floyd would eventually end up face down on the pavement, with officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck for about 8 minutes, bystander video showed.
Floyd pleaded “I can’t breathe” while under Chauvin’s knee and called out for his late mother, prosecutors have said.
See some social media reactions;
I just saw the full bodycam video of George Floyd’s arrest. ALL the cops, not just Derek Chauvin, are guilty of murder. Floyd posed no threat to them at any time yet they drew their guns, dragged him around, and even threatened innocent bystanders for the crime of being black.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) August 4, 2020
Facts about George Floyd:
New footage shows him resisting for multiple minutes prior. He was high on fentanyl. He said “I can’t breathe” prior to police touching him.
The media was successful. They played into our emotions and we took their words as Gospel.
Manipulation.
— Shekinah (@supitsshekinah) August 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/OzraeliAvi/status/1290490462092976129?s=20
How many fucking white people do drugs? How many get killed for it? Fuck off with your bullshit excuses. George Floyd didn’t deserve to die. #BLM yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Fuck Chauvin I hope he rots
— Alex BLM|Will you shut up man? (@chlorineforests) August 3, 2020
Watching George Floyd act like an insane druggie who can’t breathe as soon as the officer seats him in the car certainly adds another dimension to the lies we have been sold about police brutality, doesn’t it pic.twitter.com/sTfWDDivxc
— Jon Miller (@MillerStream) August 3, 2020
You rioted and burned down your cities over nothing.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 3, 2020
Footage of George Floyd just prior to his death has been released. He's scared, crying, and pleading for officers not to shoot him.
"Please don't shoot me. I just lost my mom. Can you not shoot me man? Please, please, please."
Those same officers killed him shortly thereafter. pic.twitter.com/iPxSKvGDpN
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 4, 2020
How was George Floyd suddenly claustrophobic when he had no trouble driving a car with passengers in it, or at any point during his 17 previous arrests?
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 3, 2020
Here's the bodycam footage of George Floyd's arrest…#TruthOverEmotions #georgefloyd pic.twitter.com/zoAUpJR9nW
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) August 4, 2020
George Floyd was murdered.
George Floyd should be alive.
The Cops that killed Gerorge Floyd should be fully prosecuted.
Watch the Body Cam footage & be OUTRAGED:https://t.co/ayhCwIfDky pic.twitter.com/AVtxQjYLyT— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) August 3, 2020
We weren’t told the truth about George Floyd.
— Bryson Gray (@RealBrysonGray) August 4, 2020
Watched the bodycam footage of George Floyd being murdered by Derek Chauvin.
Nothing changes.
He still murdered him.
Chauvin belongs in prison.
Callous disregard for human life.PERIOD.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) August 3, 2020
George Floyd told cops his mom just died. She’d been dead for two years. He said he’s too claustrophobic to get in the police car. He was just sitting in a car. He said he couldn’t breathe and was going to die while he was still standing.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 3, 2020