Leaked bodycam footage shows the 18 minutes of panic leading up to George Floyd's death
The following report contains description of the bodycam footage which you may find distressing
Video report by ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore
New footage has emerged of the moments leading up to George Floyd's death. Bodycam video from the two police officers accused of being involved in the murder of Mr Floyd has been leaked to MailOnline that reveal the distressing events that led to the death of Mr Floyd. The footage begins at the moment the two police officers pulled Mr Floyd over in his home town of Minneapolis, and ends shortly before he died under Derek Chauvin's knee. The video clearly shows how frightened and agitated Mr Floyd was from the moment he was stopped by the officers, begging them not to shoot him and apologising as they approach his parked car.
One of the officers points a gun at Mr Floyd almost immediately as the other tells him to put his hands on the steering wheel. Mr Floyd becomes increasingly agitated as the police officers bundle him out of his car and into the police car, repeatedly pleading that he was claustrophobic. The footage ends as Mr Floyd lies on the floor pleading, "I can't breathe" - his final words that would resonate around the world - while police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on his neck.
Minutes later Mr Floyd was dead. The two films – including 18 minutes from Officer Alex Kueng’s bodycam and 10 minutes from Officer Thomas Lane’s, were until now only be seen in court. The Floyd’s family's lawyer Ben Crump said in a statement on Monday that the leaked video shows Floyd did not pose a threat.
“The police officers approached him with guns drawn, simply because he was a black man. As this video shows, he never posed any threat. The officers’ contradictions continue to build. If not for the videos, the world might never have known about the wrongs committed against George Floyd.”
Mr Crump told ITV News: "It was obvious he was being polite. He was literally begging them not shoot him.
"This speaks to the fears of every black person in America."Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in May. He is currently being held at the Minnesota state prison after bail was set at over a $1 million.
The other three officers at the scene, Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, were charged with aiding and abetting murder. They were freed on bail and await trial. A hearing is expected in September with a trial date set for March 2021. Mr Floyd's death sparked global anti-racism protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement, and stirred debate in the US and UK over the country's history of slavery and segregation.