Judge Orders Release of George Floyd's 2019 Arrest Video, Shows Similarity to 2020 Confrontation
A Minnesota judge last week ordered the release of police bodycam video that shows a 2019 arrest of George Floyd by Minneapolis police where Floyd is seen behaving erratically and uncooperatively, just as he was during an arrest this year.
Floyd died on May after being arrested by Minneapolis police. Four fired Minneapolis police officers face charges in connection with Floyd’s death.
Thomas Lane, one of the fired officers, had sought to have the 2019 video released.
Earl Gray, Lane’s attorney, said the video is crucial to the case, according to WCCO.
“It shows a false narrative by the state,” Gray said. “The state is portraying Mr. Floyd as somebody that he isn’t, and if you see the 2019 video and compare them, they’re almost identical.”
Prosecutors had sought to keep the video from being seen by the public.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill rejected prosecutors’ position that public release could taint a jury and said the video “shows what basically everybody already knows: George Floyd was arrested on a previous occasion,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The May 6, 2019, traffic stop of a Ford Explorer with no license plate shows police approaching the vehicle in which Floyd was a passenger.
“Don’t shoot me, man, please. I don’t want to get shot,” Floyd whined as he complied with an officer telling him to undo his seat belt. (Arrest dialogue starts at about the 1:25 mark of the video below.)
“I don’t plan on shooting you,” the arresting officer replied.
The officer continually tells Floyd to keep his hands where the officer can see them.
Floyd would later admit to police that he was addicted to painkillers and that during the traffic stop he swallowed as many as eight Percocet pills, according to The Washington Post.
“Put ’em on the dash. Put ’em on the dash. I’m not going to shoot you, put your hands on the dash,” the officer said.
The video shows that the officer has a weapon in his hand.
“Put hands on dash, the last time I’m going to tell you that. It’s simple,” the officer said as he explained to his partner that Floyd was not compliant.
“Open your mouth. Spit out what you’ve got. I’m going to tase you,” the officer told Floyd.
Once Floyd exited the vehicle, police put his hands behind his back and handcuffed him.
“You’re not going to get beat up or nothing if you just follow what we’re asking you to do,” an officer said.
Floyd can be heard faintly saying the word “mama” as officers conduct a search. Floyd’s tone becomes increasingly agitated and his words are indistinct as an officer says he has found something while searching Floyd.
After the arrest, an officer can be heard trying to calm Floyd down. At what appears to be the police station or precinct, Floyd remains emotional.
“At this point, it’s not a big deal, you’re making it bigger than it is,” an officer tells him about the 15-minute mark. “Wait ’til you find out what’s going on before you start getting all upset.”
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