George Floyd was a African-American man who died on May 25, 2020, after Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for at least seven minutes while he was handcuffed and lying face down on the road. Officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng also helped restrain Floyd, while officer Tou Thao stood nearby acting as a barrier to bystanders.
The day after Floyd died, Derek Chauvin and three other officers were fired.
Police training typically dictates that officers should keep suspects on their stomachs while handcuffed as briefly as possible because that position can cause them to asphyxiate.
Additional information
911 Call from store owner reporting someone passing fake bills
Operator: 911 what’s the address of the emergency?
Caller: This is ah 3759 Chicago AV.Operator: How can I help you?
Caller: Um someone comes our store and give us fake bills and we realize it before he left the store, and we ran back outside, they was sitting on their car. We tell them to give us their phone, put their (inaudible) thing back and everything and he was also drunk and everything and return to give us our cigarettes back and so he can, so he can go home but he doesn’t want to do that, and he’s sitting on his car cause he is awfully drunk and he’s not in control of himself.Operator: Okay, what type of vehicle does he have?
Caller: And…. um he’s got a vehicle that is ah…ah he got a vehicle that is ah…one second let me see if I can see the license. The driver license is BRJ026.Operator: Okay, what color is it?
Caller: It’s a blue color. It’s a blue van.Operator: Blue van?
Caller: Yes, van.Operator: Alright blue van, gotcha. Is it out front or is it on 38th ST?
Caller: Ah it’s on 38th ST.Operator: On 38th ST. So, this guy gave a counterfeit bill, has your cigarettes, and he’s under the influence of something?
Caller: Something like that, yes. He is not acting right.Operator: What’s he look like, what race?
Caller: Um, he’s a tall guy. He’s like tall and bald, about like 6…6‐1/2, and she’s not acting right so and she started to go, drive the car.Operator: Okay so, female or a male?
Caller: Um…Operator: Is it a girl or a boy?
Caller: (Talking to somebody else)—he’s asking (inaudible) one second. Hello?Operator: Is it a girl or a boy that did this?
Caller: It is a man.Operator: Okay. Is he white, black, Native, Hispanic, Asian?
Caller: Something like that.Operator: Which one? White, black, Native, Hispanic, Asian?
Caller: No, he’s a black guy.Operator: Alright (sigh).
Caller: How is your day going?Operator: Not too bad.
Caller: Had a long day, huh?Operator: What’s your name?
Caller: My name is [Redacted].Operator: Alright [Redacted], a phone number for you?
Caller: [Redacted].Operator: Alright, I’ve got help on the way. If that vehicle or that person leaves before we get there, just give us a call back, otherwise we’ll have squads out there shortly, okay?
Caller: No problem.Operator: Thank you.
Transcript of police officers and bystanders during the George Floyd arrest and death
Arrested man: [Moaning]
Bystander woman 1: “Look at all the people out here. They got him kneed on the ground.”
Arrested man: [Moaning]
Bystander woman 1: “He’s crying and shit.”
Arrested man: [moaning] “Ahhh. Please. Please. Please! I can’t breathe! Please man. Please. I’m begging you. Ahhh…”
[Police radio noise]
Arrested man: [moaning] “Please man. I said please!”
0:46
Bystander 1: “While you got him down, you can at least let him breathe, man.”
Arrested man: “I can’t breathe, man.”
Bystander 2: “I’m trying to help out. So he can breathe.”
Bystander 3: “That’s how my homie died [inaudible]”
Bystander 1: “He can’t breathe. You’re sick man.”
[Inaudible]
Officer Tou Thao: “Relax.”
Arrested man: “Man, I can’t breathe. My face.”
Officer Tou Thao: “What do you want?”
Arrested man: “I can’t breathe. Please, the knee in my neck. I can’t breathe. Shit.”
Bystander 3: “Well, get up and get in the car, man.”
Arrested man: “I will.”
Bystander 3: “Get up and get in the car.”
Arrested man: “I can’t move.”
Bystander 3: “I’ve been watching the whole thing, man.”
Arrested man: [moaning]
Bystander 3: Just get up and get in the car. Get in the car.”
Arrested man: “No more. No more.”
Bystander 3: “Get up and get in the car right.”
Arrested man: “I can’t.”
Bystander 3: “[inaudible] I told you, you can’t win.”
Arrested man: “My knee.”
Bystander 3: “You can’t win, man.”
Arrested man: “My neck. I’m through. I’m through.”
Bystander 3: “I know you are but you didn’t listen.”
1:34
Arrested man: “[inaudible] My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. [moaning] Get me some water or something. Please. Please. [moaning] I can’t breathe, officer. [moaning]”
Bystander woman 1: “Shut up.”
Arrested man: “You’re trying to kill me. They gonna kill me man. [moaning]”
Bystander 1: “Bro, with your feet on his neck, he’s a dead\ man. You get off him.”
Bystander woman 1: “His nose is bleeding, like, come on now.”
Bystander 1: “Yeah, that’s wrong right there, man, to put his feet on his neck.”
Bystander woman 1: “Look at his nose.”
Bystander 1: “Yeah, you can sees your knee is on his neck.”
Bystander 2: “You got your knee right on his neck, officer. He’s ain’t even resisting arrest.”
Arrested man: “I can’t breathe.”
Bystander woman 1: “You having fun?”
Arrested man: “I cannot breathe.”
Bystander woman 1: [Inaudible]
Bystander 1: “You’re just a grown… You’re a tough guy. You’re a tough guy, huh.”
Arrested man: “[Moaning]”
Officer Tou Thao: “What’s that?”
Bystander 1: “I said, you’re a tough guy. He’s not even resisting arrest, man.”
Bystander woman 1: “His whole nose is bleeding.”
Arrested man: [moaning]
Bystander 1: “[Inaudible] He aint’ doing nothing now. Put him in the car!”
Arrested man: “They’re going to kill me.”
Bystander woman 1: “How long you all gonna hold him down?”
Unidentified speaker: “That’s why you don’t do drugs, kids—”
Bystander 2: “This ain’t about drugs, bro.” [inaudible conversation]
Bystander woman 1: “Ya’ll gotta quit talking.”
Bystander 2: “He is human, bro.”
Bystander 1: “His nostril —”
Bystander 2: “Right now, you could put him in the car. That’s some bump-ass shit.”
Officer Tou Thao: “We tried that for 10 minutes.”
Bystander 2: “That’s some bump-ass shit.”
Arrested man: [Moaning]
Bystander 2: “That’s some bum-ass shit, bro. Ya’ll know that is. You don’t have to sit there with your knee on his neck, bro.”
Officer Tou Thao: “He’s talking shit.”
Bystander; “He ain’t talking shit now, bro.”
Officer Tou Thao: “He’s talking. He’s fine.”
Bystander 1: “He ain’t fine.”
Officer Tou Thao: “All right, we’re done.”
Bystander 1: “Bro, his circulation. Like in a jiu jitsu, bro, you’re trapping his breathing right there, bro. Like you don’t think that what it is, bro? Like you think nobody understands that shit right there, bro? I train at the academy, bro. That’s some bullshit, bro.”
Officer Tou Thao: [inaudible] “You don’t understand.”
Bystander woman 1: [inaudible]
Bystander 1: “That’s bullshit, bro.You’re f**king stopping his breathing right there, bro.”
Arrested man: “I can’t breathe.”
Bystander woman 2: “Oh, man.”
Officer Tou Thao: “He’s okay. He’s talking.”
Bystander 2: “Oh, he’s talking?”
Officer Tou Thao: “It’s hard to talk when you’re dead.”
Bystander 1: “But you could get him off the ground.”
Bystander woman 1: “That’s not how you treat people.”
Officer Tou Thao: “It’s hard to talk when you’re dead.”
Bystander 1: “You’re being a bum right now. You could get him off the ground right now, bro. You could get him off the ground. You’re being a bum right now.”
Officer Tou Thao: “He’s talking right now.”
Bystander 3: “He’s enjoying that. He’s enjoying that shit! He’s a f***king bum, bro.”
Bystander woman 3: “He can’t even [inaudible]”
Bystander 1: “He’s enjoying that shit right now, bro. You could have f**king put hi in the car by now.”
Arrested man: [appears to go limp. Shoulders sink to ground]
Bystander 1: “He’s not talking shit now!”
Bystander 2: “He’s not resisting arrest or nothing, man”
Bystander woman 1: “Is he talking now!”
Bystander 1: “You’re enjoying it! Look at you! Your body language explains it.”
Bystander woman 4: “Look at him!”
Bystander 1: “Look at you, you f**king bum!”
Bystander woman 4: “Bro, get the f*ck off him!”
Bystander woman 2: “It’s the whites.They love to mess with black people.”
Bystander 1: “We already know that. Bro, I trained with half these dumbass dudes at the Academy, bro. That’s bogus, bro. You can’t even look at me like a man because you’re a bum, bro. He’s not even resisting arrest right now, bro.”
Bystander woman 1: “His nose is bleeding.”
Bystander 4: He’s passed out!”
Bystander 2: “You’re [expletive] stopping his breathing, right now, bro. You think that’s cool? You think that’s cool?”
Bystander woman 1: “It’s really not.”
Bystander 1: “What’s your… What’s your badge number, bro.”
Bystander woman 2: “Honestly.”
Bystander 1: “You think that’s cool right now, bro.”
Bystander woman 1: “You gonna call the police on another police.”
Bystander 1: “You think that’s cool, though, bro. You’re a bum, bro. You’re a bum for that. You’re a bum for that, bro. You can’t… You just get mad. You’re just sitting there, stopping his breathing right now, bro.”
Bystander woman 4: “[Screaming] Look at him!”
Bystander woman 2: “Look at him. What the f**k!”
Bystander 1: “[Calmly] Bro.”
Bystander woman 4: “Look at him”
Bystander woman 3: “[Calmly] Get off of him now.”
Bystander woman 4: “Get off of him. What is wrong with ya’ll!”
[Arresting officer Derek Chauvin pulls something from his belt and looks at bystanders]
Bystander woman 1: “What the f*ck. He got mace. He got mace.”
Bystander 3: “We’re not scared of you, bro.”
Bystander woman 2: “You’re a f**king pussy dude.”
Officer Tou Thao: [inaudible]
Bystander woman 2: “No you’re not. You’re a f*cking pussy.”
Bystander woman 4: “He cannot breathe!”
Bystander 1: “Ya’ll need to check him. He’s not responsive right now!”
Bystander woman 4: “Look at him!”
Bystander 1: “He’s not responsive right now!”
Officer Tou Thao: “Get off the street.”
Bystander 1: “He’s not responsive right now!”
Officer Tou Thao: “How would you know?”
Bystander 1: “He’s not responsive right now!”
Bystander woman 4: “Does he have a pulse?”
Bystander 1: “No bro, look at him! He’s not responsive right now, bro!”
Bystander woman 4: “Check him for a pulse, please.”
Bystander 1: “He’s not responsive right now, bro!”
Bystander woman 4: “Check for a pulse!”
Bystander 1: “Are you serious? He’s gonna sit there right no his neck?”
Bystander woman 4: “Check for a pulse. Let me see a pulse!”
Bystander 1: “Is he breathing right now! Check his pulse!”
Officer Tou Thao: “We’re not having this conversation.”
Bystander 1: “Check his pulse!”
Bystander woman 4: “Check his pulse.”
Officer Tou Thao: “Only firefighters —”
Bystander: “Don’t do drugs, bro? What is that? Do you call what he’s doing ‘okay'”? You call what he’s doing ‘okay’, bro?
Officer Tou Thao: “Get away!”
Bystander woman to officer Tou Thao, “Yes, I’m from Minneapolis.”
Officer Tou Thao: “Get away!”
Bystander woman 4: “Yes, I’m from Minneapolis.”
Bystander 2: “Bro, you, you, you name — you assume that’s OK? Check his pulse!”
Bystander 1: “The man hasn’t even move yet, bro. He hasn’t even moved!”
Officer Tou Thao: “Okay, where?”
Bystander woman 4: “Minneapolis!”
Bystander 1: “You’re a bum, bro. You’re a bum.”
Bystander woman 4: “Just check his pulse right now and see what it is. Tell me what it is!”
Bystander 1: “You’re a bum, bro.”
Bystander woman 4: “Tell me what his pulse is right now.”
Bystander 2:”Check for a pulse!”
Bystander 1: “Bro, he has not moved, not one time.”
Store worker: “He’s off crack right now.”
Bystander 1: “But he…”
Store worker: “He probably OD’d.”
Bystander 1: “Go back in the store, bro. You don’t understand.
Store worker: “No, no, no. I’m the reason…”
Bystander 1: “Okay, that’s cool. Go back in the store, bro. Go back in the store, bro.”
Store worker: “[inaudible]”
Bystander 1: “He’s not f**king moving!”
Store worker: “I see that. I see that.”
Bystander 1: “Bro, bro.”
Store worker: “I’m trying to help y’all out.”
Bystander 1: “You don’t need to help me out, bro. I know your parents. I know everybody that runs that store. You don’t need to help me the fck out, bro. He’s not fcking moving right now, bro.”
Store worker: “I just saw that, man.”
Bystander 1: “Bro, he was just moving when I walked up here.”
Store worker: “I know. Then, then then… They did that to him.”
Bystander 1: “[Inaudible} back out her, man”
Officer Tou Thao: “[inaudible] …trying to talk to you guys right now.”
Store worker: “I’ve been watching it the whole time on the camera.”
Bystander 1: “He doesn’t have a… HE’s… NOT… F*CKING… MOVING!”
Bystander woman 1: “No. Did they f*cking kill him, bro?”
Bystander 1: “Bro!”
Bystander woman 1: “Did they just killed him.”
Bystander 1: “Is he 1087, bro? Or 987, bro?.
Bystander woman 1: “Oh, my god.”
Bystander woman 2: “He was just alive”
Bystander 1: “You’re a bum. First thing you want to grab is your mace because you’re scared. You’re scared of fcking minorities. You’re a f*cking bum, bro.”
6:40
Bystander woman 3: “Stop ignoring him!”
Bystander woman 2: “It’s been like 3 minutes!”
Bystander 1: “Get the F*ck off him! What are you doing!”
Bystander 2: “He’s not f**king moving!”
Bystander woman 1: “He’s dying!”
Bystander woman 2: “Why are you still on him?”
Bystander 1: “3 minutes, bro. 3 minutes. He’s not f**king moving!”
Bystander woman 2: “Look at what you’re doing! He’s dying!”
[Firefighter takes man’s pulse]
Bystander woman 2: “Oh my god.”
Bystander woman 1: “Get off him.”
Bystander 1: “Bro, he’s not even f**king moving! Get off his f**king neck, bro!”
Bystander woman 2: “Why are you still on him?”
Bystander 1: “Get off his f**king neck, bro!”
[Officer Tou Thao pushes bystander back]: “Get back off the street.”
Bystander 1:”Are you serious?”
Officer Tou Thao: “Get back off the street.”
Bystander 1: “Bro, are you serious? You’re gonna keep your… You’re gonna keep your knee on his neck?”
Officer Tou Thao: “Okay, okay.”
Bystander woman 4: “Hey, hey!”
Bystander 3: “Yeah, I betcha. Bro. Bro. Don’t you dare touch me like that. I swear I’ll [inaudible] the f*ck outta both y’all.”
Bystander 4: “Did you call an ambulance?”
Bystander 1: “Bro, you gonna just let him keep his hand on his neck?”
Bystander 3: “You’re a bitch, bro.”
Bystander 1: “Bro, you’re gonna let him keep it like that? You gonna let him kill that man in front of y ou, bro?”
Officer Tou Thao: “[inaudible'”
Bystander 1: “Huh? Huh?”
Bystander 1: “He’s not even f**king moving right now.”
Bystander 3: “[inaudible] deal with this shit right now.”
Bystander 4: “You’re not going to help us, bro.”
Bystander woman 3: “He’s black. They don’t care.”
Bystander 1: “[inaudible] years old, bro.”
Bystander woman 3: “They don’t care, bro.”
Bystander 1: “You’re just going to sit there with your knee on his neck? You’re a real man for that, bro.”
Bystander 2: “He’s in handcuffs, bro.”
[Ambulance sets stretcher on ground near arrested man]
[Lots of inaudible talking among the crowd]
Bystander woman 4: “The fact that you guys aren’t checking his pulse, and doing compressions if he needs it, you guys are on —”
[Emergency personnel lift arrested man’s limp body from ground]
8:00
Bystander 1: “Oh my God!” [inaudible]
Bystander woman 4: “OK, yeah, and I’ve your title tag.”
Bystander woman 3: “Can I have your name tag, bitch.”
Officer Tou Thao: “That’s not very professional.”
Bystander 5: “Freedom of speech.” [shouting]
Officer Tou Thao: [screams] “Back off the street! Back off the street!”
Bystander 2: “Don’t touch him!”
Bystander woman 1: “I got this all on camera.”
Officer Tou Thao: “Don’t touch me again.”
Bystander woman 1: “You touched him! You went to him!”
Bystander woman 1: “You went to him.”
Bystander woman 2: “You always have to start something.”
Bystander 5: “Ain’t that what happened that night?”
Bystander 1: “He’s damn near dead, bro.”
Bystander 1: “He’s f**king dead, bro.”
[Emergency personnel load arrested man into ambulance]
Tape continue to 10 minutes with mostly inaudible conversation between bystanders and officer Tou Thao.
