911 dispatcher voiced concern over police use of force in Floyd arrest
One of the two calls released shared that she saw police sitting on George Floyd and did not care if she was called 'a snitch'
Minneapolis police released two 911 recordings and a dispatcher’s complaint about officers’ use of force in the killing of George Floyd.
Minneapolis police released two 911 recordings and a dispatcher’s complaint about officers’ use of force in the killing of George Floyd.
One of the calls was from an off-duty firefighter who was walking in the area, “I literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man,” the caller said, “and I am a first responder myself, and I literally have it on video camera… this dude, this, they f**king killed him.”
The other said she did not care if she might be considered a “snitch.”
READ MORE: Benjamin Crump says other officers ‘will be charged’ in George Floyd death
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, a 911 dispatcher who was watching real-time video footage of Floyd’s arrest complained to a police supervisor about what she was seeing.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/71nhtCniY10lItS1qwhmlt
“I don’t know, you can call me a snitch if you want to but we have the cameras up for (squad) 320’s call, and I don’t know if they had to use force or not,” she is heard to say, “but they got something out of the back of the squad, and all of them sat on this man, so I don’t know if they needed you or not, but they haven’t said anything to me yet.”
Wow. The 911 dispatcher watched the police kill George Floyd via their cameras. She called their supervisor immediately with concerns according to this new audio.
— Natasha Scruggs? (@AttorneyScruggs) June 16, 2020
The supervisor responds, “Yeah, they haven’t said anything yet…just a takedown, which doesn’t count, but I’ll find out.”
According to protocol, a supervisor should be notified anytime an officer uses force, and then they are to respond to the scene. Sgt. David Pleoger responded to the scene approximately 14 minutes after the dispatcher’s call.
Another 911 call released yesterday features a caller saying that they witnessed officers who “pretty much just killed this guy that wasn’t resisting arrest.” The person was transferred to a sergeant.
Former MPD officers, Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao, who participated in the assault that resulted in the death of George Floyd
READ MORE: Joe Biden says George Floyd’s death had more global impact than King assassination
46-year-old Floyd died on May 25 after being pinned to the ground by officer Derek Chauvin for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers have been indicted with winding and abetting manslaughter and murder. The officers have all been fired.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
