Newly-Released Body Cam Video Shows George Floyd's Fatal Arrest From Tou Thao's POV
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- On Thursday, courts released the body camera video from former officer Tou Thao showing another angle on the arrest that ended with George Floyd's death on Memorial Day.
Thao was the one you've seen in bystander cellphone video standing and keeping the crowd back. His body camera video is the only one that shows the three fired officers pinning George Floyd on the ground. It also shows the group of people gathered, pleading for the officers to check his pulse and do something.
RAW VIDEO: Ex-Officer Tou Thao's Body Cam Footage In George Floyd Arrest
As the video shows, Thao and Derek Chauvin show up on scene as Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng are trying to get George Floyd into the back seat of the squad.
While the officers go around to the passenger side with Floyd, Thao returns to the driver's side, opening the back door. You can can see Chauvin with his arm around Floyd's neck before he's out of the car and on the ground.
Twenty seconds later, Floyd is out of the vehicle and on the ground. You see Chauvin near Floyd's head, Kueng in the middle and Lane by Floyd's feet. You hear Floyd saying to tell his mother and kids he loves them and saying he can't breathe.
RELATED: George Floyd Case: Judge Releases Ex-Officers Lane And Kueng Body Cam Videos
Minutes later, Thao's body cam shows a crowd has gathered. Soon after, their cell phones appear to be rolling and the crowd begins pleading with police.
"You know that's bogus, he's not resisting arrest," they say.
Thao's camera stays on the crowd for a while, and he sometimes pushes a person back. They're still standing there as Thao turns.
You see Chauvin, and the officers are no longer on the ground with Floyd.
Soon there's an ambulance on the scene and we see Kueng pick up items off the ground. We know now one of those items is Chauvin's body camera. That's the only body camera video now that we haven't seen.
Thao's attorney has filed for his case to be dismissed, saying his client was doing crowd control.
Lane and Kueng's videos were released to the public on Monday.
