Opera in the Public Domaine
Transcript from court-released body-camera footage of Officer Tou Thao of George
Floyd’s murder, further transcribed by Randolph Pitts & Amy Halpern
George Floyd: Ah. Ah.
Male 3: You can’t win, man.
George Floyd: Ah ha ha ha
Male 3: …can’t work.
George Floyd: Right.
Police Tou Thao: Got one.
George Floyd: Uh. Ah ha ha.
Police Derek Chauvin: Restraint? Hobble?
George Floyd: Can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.
Police Derek Chauvin: Okay.
Police Alexander Kueng It’s in the trunk.
Police Derek Chauvin: Okay.
George Floyd: Ahh. Ahh. I can’t breathe.
Police Alexander Kueng: Will you grab that?
George Floyd: I can’t breathe.
Police Derek Chauvin: Get down, get down.
Police Thomas Lane: Jesus Christ.
George Floyd I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.
Police Thomas Lane: Thank you.
George Floyd: I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Ahhuh.
Police Alexander Kueng: Stop moving.
George Floyd: Momma. Momma.
Police Thomas Lane: Is it a standard hobble?
George Floyd: Momma. Momma.
Police Alexander Kueng: It’s should say hobble. It’s in the in one of the front
pouches.
George Floyd: Momma. Momma. Momma.
Police Alexander Kueng On my right side bag.
George Floyd: Momma. Momma. Momma. Ahh huh.
Police Derek Chauvin: You’re under arrest guy.
George Floyd: Alright. Alright. Oh my God. I can’t breathe, I can’t
believe this.
Police Derek Chauvin: That’s why you’re going to jail.
George Floyd: I can’t breathe. I can’t believe this.
Police Thomas Lane: Affirm.
George Floyd: I can’t breathe. I can’t believe this, man. Momma, I
love you.
Reesa, I love you.
Police Thomas Lane: You got a hobble ?
George Floyd : Tell my kids, I love you. 1:08
Police Alexander Kueng: They’re grabbing it.
George Floyd: I’m dead. Ahh. ahh.
Police Thomas Lane: It’s in my side. It’s listed, it’s labeled. It says, hobble.
George Floyd : Can’t breathe for nothing, man, this cold blooded man. Ahhuh. Ah- huh. Ah-huh.
Police Tou Thao: Here you go.
George Floyd: Ah-huh. Ah-huh. Ah-huh.
Police Derek Chauvin: Alright, you’re doing a lot of talking .
George Floyd: Ah-heh-huh. Ah-heh. Momma, I love you. I can’t do
nothing.
Police Tou Thao: Are we calling for EMS?
Police Alexander Kueng: Yeah, EMS is on their way.
George Floyd: My face is gone.
Police Tou Thao: Well do you want a hobble at this point, then?
George Floyd: Ah-heh. Ah-huh. I can’t breathe, man.
Police Derek Chauvin : We’ll hold him until EMS shows up.
Police Thomas Lane: Alright.
George Floyd: Please. Please let me stand.
Police Derek Chauvin: No.
George Floyd: Please, man. I can’t breathe. Ah-heh. Ah-heh.
Police Thomas Lane (to crowd): Can you get up on the sidewalk, please? One
side or the other, please
George Floyd: Ah-heh. Ah-ha. My face is skinned bad. Up to here.
Ah-huh. Wo-huh. Look at my face, man – Please!
Please I can’t breathe! Please man. Please!
Police Tou Thao: EMS coming Code Three?
George Floyd: Ah-heh. Ah.
Police Radio: 2500 Fourteenth Avenue South – a barrier —
George Floyd: Ah-heh. Ah. Ah. Please I can’t breathe.
Police Tou Thao: EMS coming Code 3?
George Floyd: Ah huh. Ah huh. Ah huh. Please, somebody —
Police Tou Thao: Relax.
George Floyd: I can’t breathe!
Crowd Member (Male): He can’t breathe, man
Police: I’ve been trying to get him —
Police Alexander Kueng He’s talking —
Police Thomas Lane: So he’s breathing.
George Floyd: Ah-heh. Ah-heh. I can’t breathe.
Male 3: He can’t breathe. Look at his [chest] man. You’re not
holding
George Floyd: On the side of the — I can’t breathe.
Police Tou Thao What do you want?
George Floyd: I can’t breathe. Please, the knee on my neck. I can’t
breathe shit. On the side of my face.
Police Derek Chauvin: Relax.
George Floyd: I can’t breathe. My face, is skinned up. Uh. Uh.
Police Tou Thao: What are you on?
George Floyd: I can’t breathe. Please, the knee on my neck. I can’t
breathe, shit –
Police Male 5: Well, get up and get in the car, man.
George Floyd: I will.
Police Male 5: Get up, get in the car.
George Floyd : I can’t move.
Police Male 5: Get up, get in the car.
George Floyd: Ah hahhh.
Police Male 5: Otherwise the whole —
George Floyd: Ah-hahhh.
Police Male 5: Get up get in the car.
George Floyd: Momma! Momma! I can’t.
My body.
Male 5: You can’t win —
George Floyd: My knees.. .My neck.
Male 5: You can’t win man.
George Floyd: I’m through.
Male 5: I know you is man but they ain’t listening
George Floyd: I’m through. I’m claustrophobic. My stomach hurts.
Police Derek Chauvin: Uh-huh
George Floyd: My neck hurts.
Police Derek Chauvin: Uh-huh
George Floyd : Everything hurts. I need some water or something. Please.
Please. Ah-huh. I can’t breathe, officer.
Police Derek Chauvin: You’re a lot of talking —
George Floyd: They will kill me. They will kill me, man. Ah-hah.
Police Derek Chauvin: Takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to say that.
Male 5 : Get your feet of his neck, man. You get off his neck.
George Floyd: Ah-huh..
Male 5: Yeah that’s… That’s wrong right there, with your feet
on his neck.
Crowd Member (Male): Man bro, you got your feet on his neck.
Male 5: You got your feet right on his neck.
George Floyd: I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe. Ah-huh. Ah-huh.
I cannot breathe.
Male 5: He ain’t even resisting arrest.
George Floyd: I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe.
Male 3: He thinks he’s a tough guy.
George Floyd: Ah. Ah.
Male 3: Tough guy, huh. He’s not even resisting arrest, bro.
Male 3: Cuz like you see here, he ain’t breathing.
Crowd Member (Male): Get in the car.
George Floyd: They’ll kill me.
Crowd Member (Female): How long are do you have to hold him down?
Police Lane or Tou Thao: This is why you don’t do drugs, kids.
Male 5: This isn’t about drugs, bro.
Crowd Member (female): This isn’t right.
George Floyd: Uh. Uh.
Male 5: He is human, bro.
Police Derek Chauvin: He’s talking so he’s fine.
George Floyd: They’ll kill me. I can’t breathe.
Crowd: [lots of voices]
George Floyd: I can’t breathe.
Male 3: That’s shit, you can put him in the car.
George Floyd: Ah. Ah-huh.
Police Alexander Kueng: We tried that for 10 minutes.
George Floyd: Ahh. Ahh.
Police (Tou Thao?): Okay —
Male 3: That’s some bum ass shit. You oughta know that. You
still gotta take off the knee on his neck, bro.
Police (Tou Thao?): He’s talking, he’s fine.
Male 3: He ain’t moving.
George Floyd: Ahh. Ahh.
Police (Thomas Lane?) Alright we’re done.
George Floyd: Please, sir. Please.
Male 3: Get some move off – You’re trying –
Police (Thomas Lane?) We’re done. We’re done. We’re done.
Male 3: Your trying to get breathing right here, bro.
George Floyd: Uhh. Uhh.
Male 3: You think that’s what idiots know? You think nobody
understands that shit right there bro? I trained at the
academy, bro.
Police Thomas Lane: You did? Okay. Then you understand.
Male 3: That’s bullshit, bro. That’s bullshit, bro.
George Floyd: Please…
Male 3: You’re fucking stopping his breathing right there, bro.
George Floyd: Yeah, I can’t breathe.
Police Derek Chauvin: Okay he’s talking. It’s hard to talk when you —
Male 3: Bro, would you get him off the ground. You’re a bum.
If you get him off the ground. Just get him off the
ground, you’re being a bum right now.
Police Thomas Lane Were you here the whole time?
Male 3: He ain’t breathing that shit. He ain’t doing that shit.
You’re a fucking bum, bro.
Crowd Member (Female): He can’t even walk.
Male 3: He’s enjoying that shit, he a fucking bum, bro. He
enjoying that shit right now, bro. Could have fucking
put him in the car by now, bro. He’s not resisting arrest
or nothing.
Crowd Member (Female): He’s not saying shit now. Is he talking now?
Male 3: You’re enjoying it, look at you, your body language
displays it, you, fucking bum.
Female 1: Look at him. Bro, get the fuck off of him.
Crowd Member: I already knew that –
Male 3: That’s not what they do at the academy, bro. You
know that’s bogus right now, bro. You know it’s
bogus, you can’t look at me like a man because you a
bum, bro. He’s not even resisting arrest right now, bro.
Female 1: He going to pass out.
Police Derek Chauvin: That’s why I have to stay on the ground.
Male 3: You’re stopping his breathing right now, bro. You think
that’s cool? You think that’s cool though, right?
What your name – What’s your officer – What’s your
badge number, bro? You think that’s cool right now,
bro?
Male 3: You think that’s cool though, bro. You’re a bum, bro.
You’re a bum for that. You’re a bum for that, bro. You
getting mad, you’re just sitting there stopping his
breathing.
Crowd Member (Female, screaming): What!?? – What the fuck!
Male 3: You fucking……. right now, bro.
Police Derek Chauvin: Okay.
Crowd Member: Look at that.
Police Derek Chauvin: Okay.
Crowd Member (Female): Get the fuck off of him! What do you want —
Police Thomas Lane: You’ve gotta back off. Get back on the sidewalk.
Crowd Member: He’s gonna – He’s gonna choke him like that?
Female 1: What the fuck ?
Male 3: What else you want to do, I’m not scared of you, bro.
You’re a fucking pussy-ass ghoul, bro. What?
Woman (Firefighter): I’m a firefighter from Minneapolis.
Male 3: Well look. You should check on him. He’s not
responsive right now.
Police Derek Chauvin: Back off.
Male 3: He’s not responsive right now.
Police Thomas Lane: Get off — Get off the street.
Woman (Firefighter): I’m a firefighter from Minneapolis.
Police Derek Chauvin: Close your window —
Male 3: He’s not responsive right now. Look at him, he’s not
responsive right now.
Crowd Member: Yeah man —
Woman (Firefighter): Check for his pulse.
Male 3: Are you serious? Are you gonna let him sit there like
that on his neck, bro?
Woman (Firefighter): Let me see a pulse!
Crowd Member (Male): Is he breathing right now?
Male 3: Check his pulse. Check his pulse!
Police Tou Thao: I’m not going to have this conversation –
Male 3: Check his pulse!
Male 3: Check his pulse! Check his pulse, Thao. Thao, check
his pulse. Thao, check his pulse, bro. Check his pulse.
You bogus, bro.
Police Tou Thao: We gotta get him out —
Male 3: You bogus, bro.
Tou Thao: Don’t do drugs, guys.
Male 3: Don’t do drugs, bro? What is that! What do you think that is? You saw – You call what he’s doing okay?
Police Tou Thao: Get back.
Male 3: You call what cha doing – You call what he doing okay?
Police Tou Thao: Are you really a fire fighter?
Woman (Firefighter): Yes I am, from Minneapolis.
Police Tou Thao: Then get on the sidewalk —
Woman (Firefighter): Check his pulse! Show me his pulse.
Male 3: Check his pulse!
Woman (Firefighter): Check his right pocket now!
Police Tou Thao: Back on the sidewalk –
Male 3: The man ain’t moved yet, bro. The man ain’t moved yet, bro.
Crowd Member (Female): He’s not moving!
Crowd Member (Female): He’s not [?]!
Male 3: You’re a bum, bro. You’re a bum, bro. You are definitely a bum, bro.
Woman (Firefighter)” Check his pulse right now and tell me what it is.
Tell me what his pulse is right now.
Crowd Member (Male): Check the pulse!
Male 3: Bro he’s not moved. Not one time, bro!
Crowd Member (Female): …since the beginning!
Male 3: Okay that’s cool. Go back in the store, bro. Go back in
the store, bro. He’s not fucking moving.
Crowd Member: I see that, I see that.
Crowd Member (from the store): I’m just trying to help you out.
Male 3: Bro, bro. Bro. You don’t need to help me out. I know your parents, I know everybody that owns the store. I don’t need you to help me the fuck out, bro. He’s not fucking moving right now, bro.
Crowd Member (from the store): I just saw that, man.
Male 3: He was still moving when I walked up here.
Crowd Member (from the store): I know the man – he did that…
Male 3: Bro, you did that up [garbled] – You just got back out here, bro.
Crowd Member (Male – from the store): I’ve been watching the whole time.
Police Thomas Lane: We’re busy trying to deal with you guys right now.
Crowd Member (Female): Just leave him alone.
Male 3: Bro, he doesn’t have a – He’s not fucking moving!
Crowd Member (Female): Get your fucking –
Male 3: Bro, bro. Where’s your ten eighty-seven, bro? You’re a bum, bro, or nine eight-seven? First thing you want to grab is your mace, cuz you’re scared. Scared of fucking minorities and —
Crowd Member (Female – screaming): Why are you on him? Get the fuck off him!
What are you doing?
Crowd Member (Female – screaming): Three minutes!
Male 3: Well three minutes and he’s not fucking moving.
Crowd Member (Female – screaming): What are you doing? He’s dying!
Crowd Member: No, see that he’s not –
Male 3: He’s not even fucking moving. He’s not even fucking
moving. Get off his fucking neck, bro.
Crowd Member (Female): You’re on him –
Police Tou Thao: Get back in the street. Get back in street.
[Crowd noise]
Male 3: Get off his neck.
Police Tou Thao: Get back on the street.
[Crowd noise]
Police Tou Thao: Get back on the street.
[Crowd noise]
Police Tou Thao: Back back on the street. Okay okay.
[crowd noise]
Crowd Member (female): — still on him?
Crowd Member (male) He’s not doing nothing to ya.
Male 3: Are you serious? He just – he’s just let him keep his head
on his neck, bro? You’re a bitch, bro. Thao, you gonna keep
his – You gonna let him keep that like that? You gonna let
him kill that man in front of you, bro? Huh? Huh?
Crowd Member (Female): What? What?
Police Tou Thao : Go ahead.
Male 3: He’s not even fucking moving
Crowd Member (Female): What? What?
Male 3: Huh? Huh? Bro, he’s not even fucking moving right now, bro.
[Garbled] out of his fucking mouth.
Crowd Member (Male): What does this have to do [garbled] in a place like this.
Police Tou Thao: Get on the sidewalk.
Crowd Member (Male): Alright, bro –
Crowd Member (Male): — in a place like this…
Crowd Member (Female): They don’t care —
Male 3: You gonna sit there with your knee on his neck?
You’re a bro – you’re a bro… You’re a real man for
that, bro. He aint’ handcuffed, bro. You’re a real man.
You’re a real man, bro.
Crowd Member (Female): — checking his pulse. The pressure on his back —
Crown noise and cop radio.