A new video in the death of George Floyd shows bystanders repeatedly pleading with police officers to check Floyd’s pulse as he lies motionless under the knee of then Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Ben Crump, the attorney representing Floyd’s family, released the video via his Twitter page on June 14, writing, “NEW VIDEO OF #GEORGEFLOYD’S MURDER! Beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the 1st video. ‘You’re going to let him kill that man in front of you?’ Thao stood guard as Chauvin KILLED George … while bystanders tried to save his life.”
You can watch the new video below, but be aware that it’s extremely disturbing.
Crump also shared the video on Instagram, writing,
Warning: This is beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the first video. “Get off of his neck! He’s not moving!” “You’re going to let him kill that man in front of you?” Tou Thao stood guard as Derek Chauvin MURDERED George Floyd … while witnesses of the execution tried to stand up for JUSTICE, tried to save George’s life! The protest of those bystanders, who refused to just stand by and let it happen, has reverberated around the world — fueling our protest against injustice and police brutality!! 8 minutes 46 seconds. The four ex-officers MUST be convicted of MURDER for this hideous atrocity! They MUST all be held accountable!! #icantbreathe #georgefloyd #justiceforgeorgefloyd
Here’s the new video on Instagram.
Here’s the version Crump posted on Twitter.
The video shows then Minneapolis Police Officer Tou Thao interacting with angry bystanders who say things like, “check his pulse.”
“Tell me what his pulse is.”
You see Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck. “He’s not f*cking moving right now, man,” a bystander says. The video is 4 minutes and 39 seconds long.
Bystanders make comments in the video, including:
“Bro, he’s not f*cking moving…you’re a bum.”
“Get the f*ck off of him.”
“Are you serious?”
“You going to let him kill that man in front of you, bro? Bro, he’s not even f*cking moving right now.”
The paramedics show up with a gurney.
“The fact you guys aren’t checking his pulse and doing compressions if he needs that…”
“He’s f*cking dead, bro.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Another Viral Video Sparked Unrest Throughout the Country
Previously, another viral video emerged on social media. Watched by millions of people, it sparked the unrest that has roiled the nation, leading to peaceful protests but also riots in American cities amidst calls for policing reform. You can watch that video above.
Derek Chauvin was identified as the officer who had his knee pressed on Floyd’s neck. Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng were the other three officers present, according to the city. The Minneapolis mayor tweeted previously that “four responding MPD officers involved in the death of George Floyd have been terminated. This is the right call.” Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo called the four officers “former employees” in a news conference.
Chauvin has now been arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
AG Keith Ellison added that charge to the previous counts of third-degree murder and manslaughter filed against Chauvin by the Hennepin County Attorney. Lane, Thao, and Kueng, the other three officers at the scene, are charged by Ellison with unintentional aiding and abetting second-degree murder as well as aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
The amended complaint adds new autopsy findings and says that “his condition continued to deteriorate such that force was no longer necessary to control him. The defendant had his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total. Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was after Mr. Floyd was non-responsive. Officer Chauvin’s restraint of Mr. Floyd in this manner for a prolonged period was a substantial causal factor in Mr. Floyd losing consciousness, constituting substantial bodily harm, and Mr. Floyd’s death as well.”
The new charges came after, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death was homicide, writing on June 1 that Floyd’s cause of death was: “Cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
The ME gave the manner of death as “Homicide,” saying, “Decedent experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer(s).” They listed other significant conditions as “Arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease; fentanyl intoxication; recent methamphetamine use.”
The complaint says that Floyd’s autopsy revealed “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation. Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.” Chauvin “had his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total. Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was after Mr. Floyd was non-responsive. Police are trained that this type of restraint with a prone position is inherently dangerous,” the complaint says. It also says that Chauvin disregarded another officer, Thomas Lane, who asked, “should we roll him on his side?” Chauvin allegedly responded, “No, staying put where we got him,” the complaint says.
An independent autopsy conducted by a famed pathologist at the request of George Floyd’s family has found that “George Floyd’s death was due to asphyxia from sustained forceful pressure” by Minneapolis police officers, according to a news conference and release by the Floyd family attorneys.
“The knee to the neck and the knees to his back both contributed to him not being able to get breath,” said Floyd family attorney Ben Crump in the news conference. “And what those officers did, that we see on the video, is the cause of his death, not some underlying, unknown health condition. George Floyd was a healthy young man. We see in the video he was walking, breathing; he was alive. His cause of death medically was mechanical asphyxiation. The legal determination is homicide. That is it in a nutshell. The officers killed him based on a knee to his neck for almost nine minutes and two knees to his back compressing his lungs. The ambulance was his hearse.”
GettyFloral tributes lay next to a mural of George Floyd, by street artist Akse, in Manchester’s northern quarter on June 03, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
The criminal complaint says that a person called 911 on May 25, 2020, and reported that a man “bought merchandise from Cup Foods…with a counterfeit $20 bill.”
Officers Thomas Lane and J.A. Kueng arrived at 8:08 p.m. They learned from store personnel that the man “who passed the counterfeit $20 was parked in a car around the corner from the store on 38th Street.”
The officers’ body-worn cameras show that the officers approached the car, with Lake on the driver’s side and Kueng on the passenger side. Three people were in the car. George Floyd was in the driver’s scene and an adult male and female were also in the vehicle, the complaint says.
The complaint further alleges:
As Officer Lane began speaking with Floyd, “he pulled his gun out and pointed it at Mr. Floyd’s open window and directed Mr. Floyd to show his hands.” Floyd put his hands on the steering wheel, so Lane put his gun back in its holster. (The body cam videos have not yet been released publicly.)
When Kueng was speaking with the front seat passenger, Lane ordered Floyd out of the car, put his hands on Floyd, and pulled him out of the car, handcuffing him. “Mr. Floyd actively resisted being handcuffed,” the complaint alleges.
Once handcuffed, Floyd “became compliant” and walked with Lane to the sidewalk, sitting on the ground at Lane’s direction. There was a conversation for under two minutes. Lang asked Floyd for his name and identification and whether he was on anything and explained he was arrested Floyd for passing counterfeit currency, the complaint stated.
Kueng and Lane stood Floyd up and attempted to walk him to their squad car at 8:14 p.m. Floyd “stiffened up, fell to the ground, and told the officers he was claustrophobic.”
That’s when Chauvin and Officer Tou Thao arrived in a separate squad car.
Hennepin County SheriffFrom Left, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, the three other officers who were involved in the death of George Floyd.
“The officers made several attempts to get Mr. Floyd in the backseat of squad 320 from the driver’s side. Mr. Floyd did not voluntarily get in the car and struggled with the officers by intentionally falling down, saying he was not going in the car, and refusing to stand still,” the complaint alleges. “Mr. Floyd is over six feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds.”
While standing outside the car, Floyd began “saying and repeatedly that he could not breathe.” Chauvin went to the passenger side and “tried to get Mr. Floyd into the car from that side and Lane and Kueng assisted,” according to the complaint.
Chauvin “pulled Mr. Floyd out of the passenger side of the squad car at 8:19:38 p.m. and Mr. Floyd went to the ground face down and still handcuffed,” said the complaint.
It alleged that Kueng held Floyd’s back and Lane held his legs. Chauvin placed his left knee in the area of Floyd’s head and neck. Floyd said, “I can’t breathe” multiple times and repeatedly said, “Mama.”
“The defendant and the other two officers stayed in their positions,” according to the complaint.
Twitter/mugshotGeorge Floyd and Derek Chauvin.
The officers said, “You are talking fine,” to Floyd. Lane asked, “should we roll him on his side?” Chauvin allegedly responded, “No, staying put where we got him.”
Lane said, “I am worried about excited delirium or whatever.” Chauvin said, “That’s why we have him on his stomach,” according to the complaint, which added that “none of the three officers moved from their positions.”
The body cam video shows that Floyd continued to move and breathe but stopped moving at 8:24:24.
At 8:25:31, the video appears to show Floyd ceasing to breathe or speak. Lane said, “I want to roll him on his side.” Kueng checked Floyd’s right wrist for a pulse and said, “I couldn’t find one.” None of the officers moved from their positions.
At 8:27:24, Chauvin removed his knee from Floyd’s neck. An ambulance arrived and Floyd was placed on a gurney. Floyd was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center.
READ NEXT: What’s Known About George Floyd’s Cause of Death.