Daily US Times: A court sees new police bodycam footage of George Floyd, a black American who died in the hand of police, pleading with officers during his arrest, saying: “I’m not a bad guy.”
The bodycam video comes as the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin continues for a third day. In the video, Mr Floyd is seen begging for police not to harm him.
The footage also shows the ex-police officer with his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.
Mr Floyd’s death in 2020 sparked global protests over racism and policing.
Mr Chauvin, 45, denies charges of manslaughter and murder. Defence lawyers have indicated they will argue that Mr Floyd died of an overdose and poor health, and the force used was reasonable.
Observers of the trial say footage shown of 46-year-old Mr Floyd’s actions before and during the arrest may be an attempt by prosecutors to deal with the allegation that drugs played a part in his death.
The court has been shown footage from the body cameras belonging to officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng. Mr Chauvin’s body camera fell to the ground as the arrest unfolded and so did not give a visual recording of the event.
Mr Floyd is seen being confronted by police in Mr Lane’s footage. He begs them: “Please don’t shoot me… I just lost my mom.”
Mr Floyd is handcuffed and continues to plead with Officers Kueng and Lane, saying he is not resisting them and “will do anything you tell me to”.
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