Body Cam Footage Captures Oklahoma Cop Responding 'I Don't Care' To Man Who Died After Saying 'I Can't Breathe'

The policing system in America is under renewed criticism after a series of encounters that led to police killing unarmed Black citizens.

As demonstrators and protesters call for more accountability, new videos are being released after calls for increased transparency.

In a video taken last year, police bodycam footage shows what happened leading to the death of Derrick Scott.

'I can't breathe:' Oklahoma City police release body cam video of man's death last year at request owww.youtube.com

In May 2019, Oklahoma City Police responded to reports of a man displaying a gun during an argument. When police arrived on the scene, they were directed to Scott.

The officers try to arrest Scott, who runs away when they ask about his weapon. Despite his attempt, the officers quickly catch him and detain him on the ground.

Scott is pinned down by three officers. During this time, he tries repeatedly to tell the officers he can't breathe and asks for his inhaler.

The officer responds,

"I don't care."

Throughout the video, the arresting officers downplay Scott's pleas for his life.

One can be heard telling him:

"You can breathe just fine."

Scott later falls unconscious, then the paramedics finally arrive. An officer tells them he's acting unconscious and they aren't sure if it's the truth.

Scott is taken to the hospital where he is pronounced dead.

The report from the medical examiner did not list a manner of death and said the officer's actions did not result in 'fatal trauma.'

The report also listed several factors that contributed to his death including methamphetamine use, asthma, and physical restraint.

The officers were defended by Oklahoma City Police Capt. Larry Withrow.

He downplayed Scott's cries that he couldn't breathe and the officer's response.

"During the heat of a conflict like that, certainly that may be something an officer says. Just understand — the officers are fighting with someone at that point."

Local activists and Scott's relatives aren't satisfied, and in light of current events, seek a resolution.

This incident was a year before the current climate, but is another in a long series of deadly interactions with police.

The phrase became a significant part of the public consciousness when Eric Garner uttered them as his final words in 2014.

Since then, they have become all too common, both as a recurring incident in police brutality and as a rallying cry to fight the systemic racial bias in law enforcement.