George Floyd bodycam transcripts. His final words

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
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We all know the narrative. "We can't see what happened before the recording. George Floyd must have done something to cause the cop to kill him. George Floyd must have provoked his own death."

We heard from the same group of people who ALWAYS suspect black people of having caused their own demise. This article contains the George's interaction with the cop before he was killed.

Read and judge for yourself.

 
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Homerboy

Lifer
Mar 1, 2000
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Honestly, I can't even make it all the way through. I feel like it deserves to be read... read out loud fore everyone to hear. But Jesus... I can't do it.
 
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UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
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Do you guys think that the one cop who was questioning his superior officer, kept pointing out that Floyd couldn’t breathe, and asked to roll him on his side—should not be charged? I don’t.
 

GoodRevrnd

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
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Do you guys think that the one cop who was questioning his superior officer, kept pointing out that Floyd couldn’t breathe, and asked to roll him on his side—should not be charged? I don’t.
Was he one of the trainees? He questioned repeatedly. Kinda tricky with rank and experience involved, with the rotten department culture it begs the question what someone in that position could realistically do. Pretty strong case for reduced charges or sentencing on him. At the same time that questioning makes the case against Chauvin stronger...
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
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Do you guys think that the one cop who was questioning his superior officer, kept pointing out that Floyd couldn’t breathe, and asked to roll him on his side—should not be charged? I don’t.
In order to get the others to rat on the killer cop you have to charge them. I don't know enough to voice an opinion.
 
Feb 4, 2009
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I’ll be honest, I can’t read them it will bother me too much

While I’m not here to say George Floyd was a great man we should all aspire to because he did or was accused of some pretty deplorable shit.
There is no way I can support a guy being chocked out pleading for his life and asking for his mother. That is some cold hearted sick shit right there.
 
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HomerJS

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Feb 6, 2002
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I’ll be honest, I can’t read them it will bother me too much

While I’m not here to say George Floyd was a great man we should all aspire to because he did or was accused of some pretty deplorable shit.
There is no way I can support a guy being chocked out pleading for his life and asking for his mother. That is some cold hearted sick shit right there.
On the deplorable scale passing fake $20s is 2 to 3 out of 10. I checked and the police are not talking about the location of the alleged fake bills.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
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Do you guys think that the one cop who was questioning his superior officer, kept pointing out that Floyd couldn’t breathe, and asked to roll him on his side—should not be charged? I don’t.
If that was me saying that I'd be charged and struck off. Why are cops let off from their actions so much?

Also it doesn't matter if the guy was saying "I'm going to fucking kill you, your kids and everyone here!". What he says is irrelevant. Either he's a threat or he isn't. And no threat is dealt with by kneeling on it until it slowly dies. That's torturing someone to death.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
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Was he one of the trainees? He questioned repeatedly. Kinda tricky with rank and experience involved, with the rotten department culture it begs the question what someone in that position could realistically do. Pretty strong case for reduced charges or sentencing on him. At the same time that questioning makes the case against Chauvin stronger...

Yeah, but the problem is that this is the "I was only following orders" defense. Some Nazi death camp guards tried that defense, that their superiors told them to do it and how could they refuse.

The law is that it is illegal to follow an illegal order. That is true of the police, and in the military.

I think the fact he was a trainee can be considered as a mitigating factor in sentencing, but has little to no bearing on guilt or innocence.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
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I'm about halfway through the transcript. I can foresee a defense they're going to attempt at trial. While it isn't 100% clear when they started pinning him, it appears that he said "I can't breathe" several times before they actually sat on him. He was obviously having a panic attack, either because of drugs or an anxiety disorder or both. With extreme anxiety people will hyperventilate and feel like they're suffocating.

What they're going to say is that when he started saying "I can't breathe" after they pinned him, they didn't take it seriously that they were physically hurting him because he was already saying it before they pinned him.

I don't think they'll get off on that defense because the overall circumstances, the duration of the pinning, sitting on him after he appears to lose consciousness and after they checked for a pulse, are just too damning. But they will definitely argue that in defense.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
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I'm about halfway through the transcript. I can foresee a defense they're going to attempt at trial. While it isn't 100% clear when they started pinning him, it appears that he said "I can't breathe" several times before they actually sat on him. He was obviously having a panic attack, either because of drugs or an anxiety disorder or both. With extreme anxiety people will hyperventilate and feel like they're suffocating.

What they're going to say is that when he started saying "I can't breathe" after they pinned him, they didn't take it seriously that they were physically hurting him because he was already saying it before they pinned him.

I don't think they'll get off on that defense because the overall circumstances, the duration of the pinning, sitting on him after he appears to lose consciousness and after they checked for a pulse, are just too damning. But they will definitely argue that in defense.
They shouldn't get away with it because they killed a man for no reason at all.
What he said is irrelevant. What he did before they killed him is irrelevant.
 

GoodRevrnd

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
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Yeah, but the problem is that this is the "I was only following orders" defense. Some Nazi death camp guards tried that defense, that their superiors told them to do it and how could they refuse.

The law is that it is illegal to follow an illegal order. That is true of the police, and in the military.

I think the fact he was a trainee can be considered as a mitigating factor in sentencing, but has little to no bearing on guilt or innocence.
He wasn't so much following an order as failing to stop a superior's illegal actions. I'm not saying he shouldn't face any consequences but it's not quite the same as Nazi guards. The whole exchange sure is illustrative of how corrupting the culture is and how callous it makes officers.

I'm about halfway through the transcript. I can foresee a defense they're going to attempt at trial. While it isn't 100% clear when they started pinning him, it appears that he said "I can't breathe" several times before they actually sat on him. He was obviously having a panic attack, either because of drugs or an anxiety disorder or both. With extreme anxiety people will hyperventilate and feel like they're suffocating.

What they're going to say is that when he started saying "I can't breathe" after they pinned him, they didn't take it seriously that they were physically hurting him because he was already saying it before they pinned him.

I don't think they'll get off on that defense because the overall circumstances, the duration of the pinning, sitting on him after he appears to lose consciousness and after they checked for a pulse, are just too damning. But they will definitely argue that in defense.
Yup, saw the same thing. Except they should know suppressing somebody's ability to breathe under those circumstances makes things more dangerous. Plus you have the one cop suggesting he ease up, some of the cops recognizing there a responsiveness problem and he remains pinned... Chauvin is rightfully fucked.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,548
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i found it interesting that the cops escalated the situation almost immediately. instead of "sir, we need to talk" it was "let me see your fvcking hands". it's not like Floyd was suspected of dangerous/violent acts.
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
36,044
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They shouldn't get away with it because they killed a man for no reason at all.
What he said is irrelevant. What he did before they killed him is irrelevant.
That is correct. Posted this because I'm so sick and tired of the guilty black man defense or the black guy must have provoked. Especially the usual cadre of people here who constantly go to that trope. I especially want them to read it and let it sink in. If it doesn't sink in read it again. If it still doesn't sink in read it again.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,478
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Do you guys think that the one cop who was questioning his superior officer, kept pointing out that Floyd couldn’t breathe, and asked to roll him on his side—should not be charged? I don’t.
That was Lane, right? Two of them were new on the force, less than a week. Lane, IIRC, was one of them. Chauvin should never be a free man again.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
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He wasn't so much following an order as failing to stop a superior's illegal actions. I'm not saying he shouldn't face any consequences but it's not quite the same as Nazi guards. The whole exchange sure is illustrative of how corrupting the culture is and how callous it makes officers.


Yup, saw the same thing. Except they should know suppressing somebody's ability to breathe under those circumstances makes things more dangerous. Plus you have the one cop suggesting he ease up, some of the cops recognizing there a responsiveness problem and he remains pinned... Chauvin is rightfully fucked.

Yeah, reading the transcript has me more firmly convinced that Chauvin is going down, but less firmly convinced that the others will.

I disagree that it is just failing to stop another's illegal actions. By helping him pin Floyd down, they were active accomplices and they continued their complicity because Chauvin told them to. Still, I think the jury may sympathize given the number of times they suggested easing up and Chauvin told them not to.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,478
8,076
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He wasn't so much following an order as failing to stop a superior's illegal actions. I'm not saying he shouldn't face any consequences but it's not quite the same as Nazi guards. The whole exchange sure is illustrative of how corrupting the culture is and how callous it makes officers.
I live in a relatively liberal area. Very diverse populous. I'm in Berkeley, CA, and the gym I went to for 20 years atraight, I met a young guy (early 20's I think) was probing for direction. He was on the gym staff and I would talk to him from time to time. He's part black. He told me one time he was in the training program of the Oakland Police Department. When I asked him about this some time later he told me he'd dropped out of the program because his trainer had instructed them in very aggressive demeaning techniques in handling "suspects." He told them to violently grab blacks by their dred-locks. If this is the way prospective cops are trained, imagine how they're trained in less diverse, less liberal areas of the country. In many areas it's openly considered appropriate to demean blacks, not just in the law enforcement community but in the community at large.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,091
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They shouldn't get away with it because they killed a man for no reason at all.
What he said is irrelevant. What he did before they killed him is irrelevant.

Not irrelevant if the prosecution intends to argue that Floyd's repeatedly stating "I can't breathe" while pinned down and them ignoring it shows intent to kill or reckless disregard for his life. Because they're going to say he was saying the same thing before we pinned him down. They'll say he was acting and talking erratically the whole time and hence they didn't take what he said as indicating that they were physically harming him but rather as a reflection of a panicked mental state.
 
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WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
30,431
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Not irrelevant if the prosecution intends to argue that Floyd's repeatedly stating "I can't breathe" while pinned down and them ignoring it shows intent to kill or reckless disregard for his life. Because they're going to say he was saying the same thing before we pinned him down. They'll say he was acting and talking erratically the whole time and hence they didn't take what he said as indicating that they were physically harming him but rather as a reflection of a panicked mental state.
You shouldn't have to ask people not to kill you for them not to kill you. Not asking someone not to kill you doesn't make it a lesser crime if they do kill you.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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From a human power dynamics situation, it (sadly) makes sense that the newer officers would not stop him. That would be an exceptional human action, and that's a hard pill to swallow for those of us who know the outcome and have never actually been in such a twisted scenario to begin with. From a legal standpoint, my understanding of the law is that they would have no duty to save Floyd. They would somehow have to willingly participate in the criminal portion of the action to be guilty of a crime even if they were complete assholes who relished his death but simply watched.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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i found it interesting that the cops escalated the situation almost immediately. instead of "sir, we need to talk" it was "let me see your fvcking hands". it's not like Floyd was suspected of dangerous/violent acts.

That identifies the principal problem in policing and the community (and likely the first domino in racial disparities). Glossed over often because it's not illegal and reinforced as correct because of all the resistance and violence police actually encounter (neverminding their own contributions to the likelihood of those actions).

The reality is, police are still there to serve people like George Floyd. Serving him may be arresting him. But dammed if most cops see it as us vs. them. Clear from the beginning that Floyd wanted to work with the police and was impaired in his ability to produce the exact actions the police expected. But if they decided to listen to his story that he was panicking because he had been shot before and instead help him, I'm confident they could have secured a cooperative arrest fairly quickly. As you point out, even approaching it with an invitation to talk and figure out what's going on from the beginning may have drastically changed things.
 

Cozarkian

Golden Member
Feb 2, 2012
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That identifies the principal problem in policing and the community (and likely the first domino in racial disparities). Glossed over often because it's not illegal and reinforced as correct because of all the resistance and violence police actually encounter (neverminding their own contributions to the likelihood of those actions).

Right, the principal problem is we take a group of people that self-select to be law enforcement officers (applicants), train them to expect violence in the course of duty and to be prepared to respond with superior violence, including life-threatening maneuvers like choke holds and potentially deliberate life-taking actions like firing a gun, then throw them into an us v. them situation where the "us" expect you to be tough and loyal to the "force."

Cops are trained to focus first on catching bad guys, not helping victims. When dealing with crime and victims, they are trained to be objective fact observers so their reports and testimony will be reliable at trial (including civil lawsuits) rather than people assigned to help deal with the fallout from crimes and accidents.

Just look at what happens when a cop shows up at a car accident. Their goals are 1) determine if anyone needs an ambulance by looking for obvious physical signs of injury and asking if you are okay, 2) clear the road, 3) collect statements from people about what they remember (at time when those people should be focused on processing the emotions from a terrifying event) and 4) decide whether to give someone a citation.

Generally missing from police reports is information about the perceived mental state of the people involved in the accidents. Cops are trained to go against their instinctive human compassion and remain dispassionate fact collectors and observers. When a cop asks if you are okay and you say yes, they don't come back with "Are you sure, you look really shaken up. Don't worry, I deal with these kinds of accidents all the time. Once the adrenaline goes away you'll be fine, but you should probably take some advil and try to rest, because you might have some pain that you won't start to feel until the adrenaline subsides." Nope, cops are taught not to show emotion because that would taint the record, so they just write down you said you were fine and they didn't see blood and then start asking what happened, how fast were you going, did you see the car that hit you, etc...

Compare that to the people involved in the accident. The person who got hit is probably rightfully pissed, but instead of screaming at the driver who is to blame, they usually recognize the person at fault feels like shit and they show that person compassion. Thus, the people involved in the accident tend to exchange reassurances about not being hurt, how the situation sucks, that they know it was an accident, etc.... Yes, they might sue you later, but at the accident scene natural instinct takes over and they are usually pretty polite and compassionate. The cops are focused on making sure their natural compassion doesn't interfere with their objectivity.

Power corrupts. Cops are given power, trained to use it, expected to use it, and there is little training and oversight to make sure they control the desire to abuse their power. It's no wonder a lot of cops become a*holes, either temporarily or permanently.
 

Pipeline 1010

Golden Member
Dec 2, 2005
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Floyd wanted to work with the police and was impaired in his ability to produce the exact actions the police expected.

Here we go. Cops don't give the slightest shit if you are unable to produce the exact actions they expect. They just don't. You still have to obey them or else they feel justified or even obligated to beat you in the name of justice. Take a look at how many videos there are of cops ripping people out of their car and beating them when they are just diabetics passed out due to diabetic shock. Or manhandling cripples/paraplegics because they didn't get out of the car quickly enough.

I almost feel like cops view the absolute worst thing you can do in life is disobey a cop or not obey the cop quickly or perfectly enough. Like that's enough evidence to pass judgement that you are an evil subhuman piece of trash who needs an ass kicking. Examine how they treat mass shooters who peacefully comply and surrender vs how they treat someone selling loose cigarettes who talks back to them and doesn't obey fast enough. One of those two is infinitely more evil but they didn't kill or even harm that guy because that guy did what the cops ordered. They bought that guy some Burger King on the way to jail.
 
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