Video shows cop with knee on neck of moaning man who later died
A video taken by an onlooker Monday evening shows a Minneapolis police officer keeping his knee on the neck of a motionless, moaning man at the foot of a squad car. The man later died.
A police statement said officers responded to a report of a "forgery in progress."
"Officers were advised that the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence," the statement said. "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."
The man died soon after, the statement said, adding, "At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident. … Body worn cameras were on and activated during this incident."
Later, Minneapolis police said the FBI is joining the investigation of the incident.
Two of the officers involved have been put on paid administrative leave, the department says.
The video, captured by Darnella Frazier, begins with the man, who is black, groaning and saying repeatedly, "I can't breathe" to the officer with his knee on the man's neck. The officer is white.
They killed him right in front of cup foods over south on 38th and Chicago!! No type of sympathy 💔💔#POLICEBRUTALITY
"Please," he pleads. "I can't breathe," and continues to moan.
An officer keeps insisting he get in car he keeps saying he can't.
"My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. … (I need) water or something. Please. Please. I can't breathe, officer. … I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe." That was followed by more groaning.
A female bystander points out the subject's nose is bleeding.
In an ongoing commentary permeated by cursing, a male onlooker says, "That's bulls—t, Bro. You're stopping his breathing right there, Bro. Get him off the ground, Bro. You're being a bum right now."
The man says the officer is "enjoying that. He's a bum, Bro. You could have put him in the car by now. He's not resisting arrest or nothing. You're enjoying it. Look at you. Your body language – you bum. You know that's bogus right now."
The female onlooker repeatedly urges the officers to check the subject's pulse. "He's not responsive right now," a bystander says. "He's not moving."
Then, an ambulance arrives and takes the man away.
"You just really killed that man, Bro," the male onlooker says.
Frazier, who took the video, says directly beneath it on her Facebook page, " They killed him right in front of cup foods over south on 38th and Chicago!! No type of sympathy 💔💔#POLICEBRUTALITY."
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