MINNEAPOLIS — The City of Minneapolis released audio of a phone call from a concerned 911 dispatcher to a police sergeant with the Minneapolis Police Department in regards to the officers' response to the May 25 call involving George Floyd, where he died while in police custody.
The dispatcher is heard asking the sergeant if the officers on scene outside the Cup Foods store had called the sergeant.
"You can call me a snitch if you want to, but we have cameras up for 320's call ... over at Cup Foods," the dispatcher said. "... I don’t know if they had (to) use force or not, 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 sergeant then responds saying that they haven't said anything to him, but he was going to look into the situation.
"Yeah, they haven't said anything, so just a takedown, which doesn't count, but I'll find out," said the sergeant, who hasn't been identified.
The Associated Press reports the dispatcher was in a 911 call center at the time and was watching video from a surveillance camera posted at the intersection where police apprehended Floyd, according to city spokesman Casper Hill.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department's official Use of Force policy, "takedown techniques" do not require supervisor notification.
The dispatcher responded:
"We don't get to ever see it, so when we see it, we're like 'Well, that looks a little different,'" the dispatcher said.
Reports show a supervisor did arrive to the scene later.
Four Minneapolis police officers have since been fired, including Derek Chauvin, who was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of Floyd.
The other three officers, who have since been identified as Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane are all charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter. According to online records, Lane was released from jail on bond with conditions last week. The other three officers remain in jail.
The 911 transcripts from two bystanders who called police were also made public Monday. One is from a bystander who said an officer “pretty much just killed this guy that wasn't resisting arrest. He had his knee on the dude's neck the whole time.”
The caller goes on to say Floyd “stopped breathing ... He was already in handcuffs ... I don't even know if he dead for sure but dude was not responsive when the ambulance came and got him, and the officer that was jut out here left, the one that actually just murdered the kid in front of everybody.”
The operator asks if the caller would like a sergeant, and the caller says “Yeah, like that was bogus what they just did.”
A second 911 call transcript made public is from a person who works as a first responder.
“I literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man ... I literally have it on video camera (clears throat). I just happened to be on a walk so, this dude, this, they (expletive) killed him,” the caller says.
That person also expresses willingness to speak with a supervisor, but the call is disconnected and the operator tried to reach the caller again four times over the next two minutes, without success, the transcript says.
