George Floyd's untimely death at the hands of police on May 25 sparked a national outcry after a cell phone video was posted online and went viral.
Now a new video of the moments immediately prior to the violence casts doubt on the police's claim that Floyd resisted arrested.
The original, nearly 7-minute-long video was graphic. It captured the nearly 5-minute period during which the White arresting officer forced his knee into Floyd's neck. The hold cut off Floyd's breath long enough to kill him.
Floyd's last words can be heard in that video.
"I can't breathe. Please, I can't breathe. Do not kill me!"
A good deal of additional information has been uncovered about the incident since that video first appeared.
According to a press release, the police were originally called by a store-owner when he alleged Floyd attempted to use a counterfeit $10 dollar bill. Upon arriving to the scene, police reported that they found Floyd in his car and asked him to step out of the vehicle.
The press release gave the following description of the entire incident.
"Two officers arrived and located the suspect, a male believed to be in his 40s, in his car. He was ordered to step from his car."
"After he got out, he physically resisted officers. Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress."
"Officers called for an ambulance. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later."
But a new video has thrown a shadow on their claim that Floyd resisted.
Security camera footage along the sidewalk captured the roughly six minutes immediately prior to the moment Floyd was tackled, pinned and killed.
In the video, Floyd can be seen being handcuffed, sitting against the wall for some moments, and then walking—despite obvious physical anguish—with two officers across the street to a police cruiser on the next block.
Police kneeling neck guy Moments before his arrest (New surveillance video)youtu.be
Comments on the video showed a new layer of outrage.
Chris Ryan Drew/Youtube
Ronald/Youtube
Frank mw/Youtube
Twitter was also appalled.
However criminal justice reform activists have long said the "resisting arrest" charge is a cover used by law enforcement.
Many of the high profile deaths of POC at the hands of police were charged with only "resisting arrest." However the act of arresting a person requires a crime be committed.
How can a person only commit a crime of resisting an arrest that has no crime associated with it? Arrests are meant to be made based on a commitment of a crime, not based on the size, race or ethnicity of a suspect.
Already, the four police officers involved in the event have been fired, as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced.
Despite the mayor's quick action, protests have raged in Minneapolis after the killing.
Police officers cited for excessive force have been fired before, then based on appeals by the police union reinstated with back pay as in the case of the city of Omaha, Nebraska and the death of Zachary Bear Heels.
With both the FBI and Minneapolis state authorities investigating the incident, the new video has likely added some further clarity to the narrative.
But only time will tell if the developments help to actually bring the justice those protests so ardently called for.
