This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
On May 25, 2020, a call was made to the Minneapolis Police Department about a man who allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a convenience store called Cup Foods. The man, later identified as 46-year-old George Floyd, was sitting in the driver's seat of a blue SUV across the street from the store.
Two employees from Cup Foods approached Floyd and his companions about the alleged counterfeit bill. They demanded the cigarettes back but walked away empty-handed. Four minutes later, they called the police, reporting that Floyd had used fake bills to buy cigarettes and was 'awfully drunk' and 'not in control of himself.'
Police officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng arrived on the scene and approached the blue SUV. Lane pulled his gun and ordered Floyd to put his hands on the wheel. After about 90 seconds of back and forth, Lane yanked Floyd out of the SUV and cuffed his hands behind his back.
As the officers approached their car, Floyd fell to the ground. According to the criminal complaint filed against the officers, Floyd said he was claustrophobic and refused to enter the police car. During the struggle, Floyd appeared to turn his head to address the officers multiple times and told them he couldn't breathe.
Officer Derek Chauvin, who had a history of complaints against him, became involved in the struggle to get Floyd into the car. Security camera footage from Cup Foods showed Kueng struggling with Floyd in the backseat while Thao watched. Chauvin pulled Floyd through the back seat and onto the street.
Two witnesses began filming the incident, and the footage shows that all four officers were gathered around Floyd. It was the first moment when it was clear that Floyd was face down on the ground with three officers applying pressure to his neck, torso, and legs.
At 8:20 p.m., Floyd's voice was heard for the first time. He was gasping for air and telling the officers that he couldn't breathe. Despite calls for medical help, Chauvin kept Floyd pinned down for another seven minutes.
Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck for a total of 8 minutes and 46 seconds, according to the complaint filed against him. Floyd was loaded into an ambulance, but the E.M.T.s called for additional medical help from the fire department. However, the officers gave them 'no clear info on Floyd or his whereabouts,' delaying their ability to help the paramedics.
Floyd was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital around 9:25 p.m. Preliminary autopsies conducted by the state and Floyd's family both ruled his death a homicide.
