George Floyd told police “I’m not a bad guy” and pleaded with an officer not to shoot him in the arrest that led to his death, video footage played to a Minneapolis court showed.
The 46-year-old died after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes while being apprehended for trying to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit banknote.
At Chauvin’s murder trial yesterday, jurors were shown police bodycam footage which began with Mr Floyd being pulled from his car.
One of the officers, Thomas Lane, drew his gun and issued a demand to see his hands, as Mr Floyd replied: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry … got shot before.”
Apparently crying, he pleads: “Please don’t shoot me, man.” Mr Floyd begins to struggle when told to get into the police car, saying he is claustrophobic and repeatedly calling out: “I’m not that kind of guy.”
The four police officers made a series of failed attempts to get Mr Floyd into their car, before eventually taking him to the ground.
The footage shows Chauvin pinning Mr Floyd’s neck with his knee, as other officers restrain his legs and hold his back, before they begin to discuss if the suspect could be on drugs.
Lane was heard commenting that he found a “weed pipe” on Mr Floyd whose eyes were moving back and forth, adding: “He wouldn’t get out of the car. He just wasn’t following instructions.”
Mr Floyd’s death on May 25 last year sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world after harrowing footage of Chauvin pinning him down went viral.
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Mr Floyd can be seen on the video repeatedly calling out “I can’t breathe”, as bystanders pleaded with the police officers to let him go and allow emergency medical assistance.
Prior to the arrest, CCTV in the Cup Foods store in Minneapolis captured Mr Floyd interacting jovially with staff as he bought cigarettes.
Cashier Christopher Martin, 19, noticed he was offering a counterfeit $20 bill, telling jurors he considered letting the matter go and covering the money from his own wages.
However, he ultimately told a manager and police were called when Mr Floyd refused to return to the store.
Witness Charles McMillian, 61, said he had urged Mr Floyd to get into the police car, but he replied: “I can’t.”
As Mr Floyd was later being put into an ambulance, Mr McMillan confronted Chauvin to tell him: “I don’t respect what you did.” The officer replied: “I had to control this guy because he’s a sizeable guy”.
He added: “It looks like he’s probably on something.”
Chauvin, 45, denies murder and manslaughter arguing he used reasonable force in the arrest. The trial continues.
