Minneapolis dispatcher voiced concerns over use of force against George Floyd
The Minneapolis Police Department on Monday released an audio recording of a dispatcher who watched via surveillance cameras the arrest of George Floyd and shared their concerns with a supervisor.
Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, placed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. The dispatcher's call was made at 8:30 p.m. on May 25, about the time Floyd was in an ambulance on his way to a hospital. The dispatcher told their supervisor, "I don't know, you can call me a snitch if you want to, but we have the cameras up for 320's call and ... I don't know if they had to use force or not, 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."
The Minneapolis Police Department also released the transcripts of two 911 calls made in the wake of Floyd's death. One call was made by an unidentified bystander, who said a police officer "pretty much just killed this guy that wasn't resisting arrest." The other caller was an off-duty firefighter, who said he "literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man, and I am a first responder myself, and I literally have it on video camera ... I just happened to be on a walk ... they [expletive] killed him." The transcript noted the 911 dispatcher attempted to transfer him to a supervisor, but the call was disconnected.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Bormio: 'a great Alpine getaway'
The Week Recommends From snowy slopes and hot-spring spas, to high-end food and wine, this Italian town has something to offer everyone
By Asya Likhtman Published
-
Crossword: March 28, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 28, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Goon Squad' cops sentenced for torturing 2 Black men
Speed Read The former Mississippi law enforcement officers pleaded guilty last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Michigan shooter's dad guilty of manslaughter
speed read James Crumbley failed to prevent his son from killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Shooting at Chiefs victory rally kills 1, injures 21
Speed Read Gunfire broke out at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade in Missouri
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Court rules Josef Fritzl can be moved to normal prison
Speed Read 'Notorious' criminal, now 88, was convicted for raping, committing incest and imprisoning his daughter
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Post Office scandal casts new light on Robin Garbutt murder conviction
Speed Read Supporters claim faulty Horizon evidence was key to guilty verdict but victim's mother accuses former postmaster of jumping on bandwagon
By The Week UK Published
-
Uvalde parents want indictments after DOJ's scathing school shooting report
Speed Read The Justice Department's damning review of the May 2022 school shooting in Texas details 'cascading failures,' but families of the victims want justice
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Girls left 'at the mercy' of Rochdale sex abuse gangs, says 'damning' review
Speed Read Victims 'badly failed' by council and police, said Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published