The body cam video of two officers charged in the death of George Floyd will be made available to the public by appointment Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS – Body camera video of two officers accused of George Floyd’s death is made available to the public for their appointment on Wednesday, but so far a judge has refused to allow news organizations to post the images. for a wider distribution.
The body camera images of Thomas Lane and J. Kueng were archived in court last week by Lane’s attorney, but only the written transcripts were made public. A coalition of Lane and Kueng media organizations and lawyers have said that making the videos public would provide a more complete picture of what happened when Floyd was arrested.
Members of the media and the public are watching the video on Wednesday by appointment in court. The media coalition, which includes The Associated Press, has said this deal is the equivalent of keeping the videos sealed, and the coalition is asking Judge Peter Cahill to allow the media to copy the videos and publish them.
Media attorney Leita Walker said in a court filing that the images should be widely available to “all members of the public concerned with the administration of justice in one of the most important and most viewed cases in this state, perhaps this country have you ever seen. “
He also said allowing journalists to copy the footage, watch it multiple times, transcribe it, and compare it to viewers’ video transcripts and timestamps will help reporters put together a more complete story.
“As the days of unrest in the Twin Cities showed, it is vitally important that the public have full confidence in the process and the outcome of this criminal prosecution,” he said.
Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died on May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes when Floyd said he was unable to breathe. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and involuntary manslaughter. Tou Thao, Lane and Kueng are accused of aiding and abetting second degree murder and manslaughter. The four officers were fired.
The videos and body camera transcripts were filed in court last week by Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, as part of a motion to dismiss Lane’s case. Gray said at the time that he wanted the videos to be made public, and told the Star Tribune that they would show the “full picture.” Gray said the viewer’s video shows only the last part of what happened and “it’s not fair.”
Gray’s move highlighted parts of the body camera video showing Floyd “actively resisting and acting erratically” with officers. He also noted Floyd’s “request” to be implemented. Gray also argued that Lane did not have a clear vision of what Chauvin was doing.
Kueng’s lawyer Tom Plunkett said in a court filing that he also wants the videos to be made public. He said the disclosure of information by parties has been catastrophic, which has led to incomplete reports by the media and the unfair presentation of evidence in favor of the prosecution.
The video could provide a more vivid picture of what happened the night Floyd was arrested on suspicion of approving a fake $ 20 bill. Transcripts show Floyd seems cooperative at times but he gets agitated when he begs not to be put on a patrolman, and repeatedly says he is claustrophobic. The transcripts also detailed Floyd circling around in the rear of the patrol car to the point where he was injured.
The footage is also likely to show what Lane, Kueng, and Floyd did during the fight, rather than what was simply said. It may also detect nonverbal cues that are not captured in transcripts, such as labored breathing, tone of voice, or physical reactions.
The video could also show what Chauvin was saying and doing, and how much Lane and Kueng saw. It could also dispel some discrepancies in the two transcripts that Walker, the media attorney, said raise questions about their accuracy.
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