A year ago, police initially reported the death of George Floyd as the result of a 'medical incident during police interaction.'
Sarah Al-Arshani | Publié le
- Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd.
- In their initial statement, police said Floyd's death was a result of a "medical incident."
- The statement made no mention that Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
- See more stories on Insider's business page .
Almost a year ago, Minneapolis police initially reported the death of George Floyd as the result of a "medical incident during police interaction."
On Tuesday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
Floyd died on May 25, 2020. Video from his arrest showed Chauvin kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes. The incident prompted national and international protests.
However, on the day of Floyd's death, Minneapolis police issued a press release that said Floyd had physically resisted arrest and appeared to be under the influence.
The statement said police were responding to a call on forgery in progress.
"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," the statement read.
It stressed that no weapons were used.
"At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident," the statement read.
The video that was posted of the incident shortly after the statement was released told a different story. Chauvin can be seen kneeling on Floyd's neck as he repeatedly says "I can't breathe" before going limp.
The report made no mention of it.
Floyd was later pronounced dead. His final words were him calling out for his mother , who had died a few years prior.
In his closing argument, Minnesota prosecutor Steve Schleicher told the jury Chauvin was not following training and his use of force was not justified. The initial report did not mention that Chauvin's actions violated the police department's policies and training .
Transcripts of 911 calls made during the incident indicate witnesses were horrified. One caller said an officer had "pretty much just killed this guy."
Via PakApNews