Graphic bodycam footage played at Floyd murder trial

MINNEAPOLIS: Chilling police body camera footage was shown to the jury on Wednesday at the trial of the white policeman accused of killing George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man whose death touched off anti-racism protests around the world.

The video taken by the bodycams of the four police officers involved in Floyd's May 25, 2020 arrest was introduced by prosecutors on the third day of the trial of ex-Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin.

Chauvin, 45, who was captured on bystander video kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for more than nine minutes, is charged with murder and manslaughter.

The bodycam videos include the moment Floyd was arrested at gunpoint for allegedly passing a fake $20 bill and his desperate pleas that he "can't breathe" as he is pinned facedown in the street by officers.

The other three former police officers involved in the arrest -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng -- are to be tried separately later this year.

Lane's bodycam video shows Floyd saying "Please don't shoot me" as he is pulled out of his car outside the store where he paid for a pack of cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 banknote.

Floyd is handcuffed and taken to a squad car where he becomes increasingly distressed and struggles with the officers who are trying to put him in the back of the vehicle.

"I'm claustrophobic, man," Floyd says repeatedly. "Why you doing me like this? Don't do me like this man."

After Floyd falls out of the car into the street, three officers pin him down with Chauvin kneeling on his neck.

Chauvin's body camera was knocked off in the struggle and falls under the car but the cameras of the other officers continued to operate.

Floyd says repeatedly that he can't breathe. "Mama, I love you," he says. "My stomach hurts, my neck hurts."

At one point, one of the officers says "I think he's passed out" and asks if they should "roll him on his side."

The bodycam footage continues until an ambulance arrives and takes an unconscious Floyd to hospital, where he was declared dead.