The video playlist of the Derek Chauvin trial beginning on March 8, 2021 – April 20, 2021
NOTE: “Full body camera videos are included at the end of this article – Thao, Kueng, Lane”
It was a warm spring night, Memorial Day May 25, 2020, when George Floyd arrived at the corner of East 38th St and Chicago Ave in Minneapolis in what is called the Powderhorn district around 7:35 pm. Floyd was accompanied by two companions. The purpose of the stop was ostensibly to purchase items and to return an item previously purchased at the Cup Foods convenience store on the corner of East 38th and Chicago. The real purpose is still unknown. Floyd and his companions decide to enter store and attempt to make purchases with counterfeit $20 bills. The time was 7:45 pm.
7:34 pm
George Floyd and his companion, Morries Hall, leave the SUV and enter the Cup Foods store. In the store Floyd encounters Shawanda Hall and speaks with her. Floyd purchases a pack of Newport menthol cigarettes at the tobacco counter and pays with a fake $20 bill. Hall makes no purchase. Hall had attempted to make a purchase several hours earlier with a similar fake $20 bill that was rejected immediately by the clerk. Floyd exits the store after his purchase. Hall had exited previously. The clerk suspected the bill was fake, but allowed Floyd to make the purchase. He informs his manager of the incident. Floyd and Hall cross the street and return to the SUV and re-enter it. Shawanda Hill accompanies them, allegedly requesting a ride home.
The store manager requests the clerk at the tobacco counter to scan the bill in his cash register that had been proffered by Floyd. They found it to be fake and pulled it. It was later given to the police at the scene.
7:50 pm
Two of the store employees (Chris Martin and Martin Walter) exit the store and cross the street to confront the occupants of the SUV and request the return of the merchandise Floyd left the store with. One employee (Martin) speaks to Morries Hall in the front passenger seat. The employee asks that Floyd return the cigarettes and the change he had received. Floyd and Hall both refuses. After a short conversation, the two employees return to the store. Shawanda Hill remain in the SUV. Morries Hall is sitting in the front passenger seat sideways, partially out of the vehicle.
They make no attempt to leave the scene.
7:54 pm
After a short pause, three employees again (Omar Camara, Chris Martin and a female), leave the store, and cross the street to confront Floyd and his companions. One male employee speaks directly to Floyd, seated in the driver’s seat, then to Morries Hall. He asks Floyd to return the merchandise and the change he had received and he would return the fake money and not report the incident. Floyd again refuses The female employee takes down the license plate (Mn BRJ 026, VIN 4JGAB54E01A288014) of the SUV and they return to the store. The SUV is a 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML320, blue in color. After the rejection, the employees walk back to the Cup Foods store.
8:00 pm
Once inside the store of the employees, Chris Martin, is told by the store manager to call 911 and report the incident:
The clerk reported that three people had come into the store and two of them attempted paid for merchandise with fake $20 bills. The clerk recognized the bill as fake. He also reported that the men and that Floyd appeared to be under the influence of some substance or very drunk and was “not acting right”. At the time of the call they reported Floyd to be sitting on the hood of a blue SUV parked on Chicago Ave. The 911 operator asked for a description of the man told them to watch the vehicle and report back if it left the scene. He reported that Floyd was currently sitting on the hood of the SUV. A squad car was dispatched to the Cup Foods store.
8:06 pm
Two Minneapolis police officers, Thomas Lane and J.A. Kueng arrive in squad car #320 and park on the corner of Chicago Ave and East 38th St. E. They enter Cup Foods and speak with an employee. The employee shows them the fake bill. He then points out the blue SUV still parked across the street. Floyd had sat on the hood of the SUV for a short time after leaving the store but had now re-entered the SUV on the driver’s side and was seated behind the wheel. There would be several other fake $20 bills retrieved from the vehicle after the incident.
8:08 pm
The two officers exit the store and cross the street to the SUV. Officer Lane approaches on the driver’s side and Kueng on the passenger side. Lane taps his flashlight on the driver side window and orders, “Let me see your hands.” Floyd opened the door. “Hey, man, I’m sorry!” Floyd said. Officer Kueng notes the license plate number and confirms it matches what was reported earlier in the 911 call.
8:10 pm
Floyd is ordered to show both his hands, but hesitates, saying, “I didn’t do nothing”. He gropes with one hand under the seat and touches the key FOB in the ignition. His companion, tells him, “Let him see your other hand!” Officer Lane partially draws his service weapon, and again forcefully orders Floyd to show both hands on the steering wheel. Floyd apologizes profusely and claims he has been shot by police before (there is no record of this having happened). He places both hands on the steering wheel. Lane returns his weapon to his holster and assures Floyd he is not going to shoot him. (This is standard procedure when a suspect does not fully cooperate.)
The two occupants of the car exit from the passenger side, front and back seat. Both of them had been present during the transaction events at Cup Food store. Both Morries Hall and Shawanda Hill were known to the police. They would be detained for a short time. Hill claimed, “We was getting a ride”. She then called her daughter, McKenzie Anderson, to come and pick her up. She claimed no knowledge of why Floyd was acting erratically. She subsequently claimed she was Floyd’s “ex”. Hall gave police a false name and identification. He claimed they had only been “catching a ride” with FLoyd and didn’t know him. This was false; Hall and Floyd had been acquaintances for three years, meeting at a St. Louis Park church.
Note: (Morries Lester Hall (42) would flee Minneapolis two days after the incident and hitchhike to Houston, Texas, where he was originally from. He had outstanding warrants for his arrest in Minnesota. He had a previous arrest record and convictions in Minnesota for first-degree felony assault, burglary, aggravated robbery, and multiple domestic assault charges between 2012 and 2018. He would be detained in Houston and interrogated by Minneapolis investigators there pending extradition. He also had a criminal history in Texas. He was wanted for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Hall was apprehended in Texax and interviewed later by Minnesota BCA. Officers did not search Hall or his backpack. Surveillance video from Dragon Wok restaurant shows Hall appearing to destroy evidence while seated in the vehicle. Hall fled the scene before the incident ended. He had spent the entire day with Floyd and knew what Floyd had ingested, but did not offer any information to the police.)
Note: (Shawanda Renee Hill (45) was a Minneapolis resident. She had a previous arrest record and convictions for check forgery, felony theft, disorderly conduct, solicitation for prostitution, and stalking and domestic abuse between 1997 and 2016. )
8:11 pm
After a short interaction, Lane, orders Floyd exit the SUV with his hands on top of his head. Floyd complies and Lane opens the door and assists Floyd out of his seat. As Floyd gets out, his ID or driver’s license is flung to the ground beside the door of the SUV. Floyd faces away and Lane begins to handcuff him. There is a brief struggle as Floyd resists being handcuffed. Officer Kueng comes to assist Lane as Floyd begins to struggle. Officer Lane switches positions with Kueng and returns to the sidewalk to speak with the passengers Hall and Hill.
8:12 pm
Kueng begins to walk Floyd to the sidewalk, but Floyd stumbles to the ground. He is picked up by Kueng and walked to the side of the restaurant building. He is positioned against the wall standing and immediately slumps to a sitting position on the sidewalk. Kueng orders Floyd to sit down. Floyd partially slides down the wall slowly, stopping at the molding at the base of the building. Kueng orders to sit down fully. Ass he hits the sidewalk, his cuffed hands knock a small chunk of plaster from the wall, which bounces off his hand and lands on the sidewalk beside him. He then leans to his left and the SUV key fob in his pocket falls out. Kueng retrieves the key fob and puts it in his own pocket telling Floyd, “I’ll hold on to this for you”. he then asks Floyd who the vehicle belongs to and Floyd responds, “My sister”.
8:13 pm
A Minneapolis park police car (squad #830) arrives on the scene and an officer emerges. Officer Kueng asks Floyd for his name and other identification information. He scribbles the information onto a notepad, hands it to the park officer and requests, “Okay,do you mind doing me a favor? Just run this guy for me. George Floyd. Thank you.” The park officer returns to his vehicle and runs the check. The SUV does not belong to George Floyd; he claims it belongs to his sister.
Kueng informs Floyd of the reason for the detention, “We’re here because it sounds like you gave a fake bill to the individuals in there. (Cup Foods)” “Yeah,” Floyd replied.
8:14 pm
Officer Lane finishes talking with the other occupants of the vehicle. The passenger door has been left open. Floyd is picked up by both officers holding his arms as they walk across the street to the squad car. The other two occupants remain on the sidewalk as Floyd is led away. Floyd appears to be in distress after he is picked up.
8:15 pm
The two officers walk Floyd to the driver’s side back door of the squad car. They do not notice the small packet he dropped on the sidewalk. Floyd appears to be having difficulty walking, staggering, and tripping. The officers get ready to open the door of the squad as Floyd drops to the ground hitting his right shoulder on the back fender of the squad car. He is picked up by Kueng, the door is opened and both officers struggle to put him inside. He stiffens and resists. He claims he is claustrophobic. The Park Police vehicle turns around on the street and parks perpendicular to squad car. The park officer exits and proceeds towards the squad car but is directed by Lane to “watch that car. Make sure no one goes in it.” The park officer crosses the street and secures the SUV.
The park officer speaks briefly with the other two occupants of the SUV, closes the doors and stations himself behind it. The two occupants remain at the scene on the sidewalk next to the restaurant. He retrieves what appears to be a credit card or driver’s license from the pavement next to the SUV front driver’s door.
8:17 pm
A squad car (squad #352) with officers Tou Thao and Derek Chauvin arrives on Chicago Ave and parks momentarily in front of Floyd’s SUV. They then cross the street and park directly behind the Park Police vehicle on Chicago Ave. Thao is the driver. The two officers exit the vehicle and walk slowly to the squad car. They had answered a call for assistance for a suspect that was resisting arrest. Chauvin puts on a pair of black gloves and watches as Lane and Kueng attempt to get Floyd inside the squad car’s driver side back seat. Officer Thao positions himself on the sidewalk to maintain a perimeter around the squad car.
8:18 pm
Officer Lane does a quick pat down of Floyd and retrieves a methamphetamine pipe from his pocket. Floyd resists getting into the back seat of the squad. He drops to the ground and begins to complain that he cannot breathe and that he is claustrophobic. Floyd continues to resist saying, “I want to lay on the ground! I’m going down, I’m going down…”
It was at this point that Floyd’s heart arrhythmia began. Arrhythmia occurs when the electrical impulses that coordinate heartbeats stop working properly, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly, or a combination of all three. Blood flow through the heart is impaired and slowed. This results in a reduced transfer of oxygen to the blood from the lungs and reduced circulation of oxygenated blood throughout the body. Arrhythmia produces chest pains and a feeling of shortness of breath, even though physical breathing continues normally.
Floyd is picked up by Lane and Kueng and inserted into the back seat of the squad car. He thrashes on the seat and kicks repeating, “I can’t breathe” multiple times. Kueng attempts to restrain him from the driver’s side door and Chauvin and Lane run to the passenger side, open the door, and hold onto his legs. Floyd continues to struggle and protest, “I can’t breathe. I’m having a heart attack.” Floyd repeats, “Okay, I want to lay on the ground” multiple times. During the struggle, he strikes his head inside the squad car and begins bleeding from his lip and mouth.
After almost three minutes of struggle, Lane says, “Let’s take him out use the MRT.” (MRT is a maximum restraint technique. this would include the use of hobbles or shackles to restrain the feet and the neck and shoulder restraint that Chauvin placed.) Floyd is pulled from the passenger side back seat and positioned and initially placed on his back momentarily. All three officers flip him over and reposition him on his stomach flat on the pavement. Floyd thanks them for getting him out of the car and onto the ground. Officer Chauvin asks Lane if Floyd was going to jail. Lane then informs him of the circumstances of Floyd’s arrest and that he was being arrested for forgery. During the struggle, Chauvin’s body camera is dislodged. He will later retrieve it and reattach it.
George Floyd suffered from an enlarged heart, 6% greater than normal. There was multi focal atherosclerosis. There was 75% proximal and 75% mid narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery (This artery is called “the widow maker”. A blockage in it will produce a major fatal heart attack in minutes.) There was 25%proximal narrowing of the circumflex coronary artery and 90% proximal narrowing of the right coronary artery. Floyd also suffered from cyclically diagnosed high blood pressure.
