George Floyd told US officers 'I can't breathe' 20 times but was told to 'stop yelling', new court transcripts show

The former US police officer accused of murdering George Floyd told him to “stop talking” as he gasped for air during the infamous arrest, court documents show.

Derek Chauvin met the unarmed African American's cries of “I can’t breathe” with “stop talking, stop yelling” while he pressed his knee against Mr Floyd’s neck.

The revelation comes from official transcripts of body cam footage worn by the four officers who detained Mr Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

Footage of the arrest by shocked onlookers quickly sparked global outrage. Weeks of Black Lives Matter protests since have piled pressure on key institutions in societies to be more anti-racist and reckon with their colonial ties.

All four officers who took Mr Floyd into custody were fired and arrested.

Chauvin, who knelt on his neck, faces several charges including second-degree murder, while the others - Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao - are charged with aiding and abetting murder.

During an eight minute, 46 second period when the officers kneeled on him, Mr Floyd gradually fell silent as he lost consciousness before an ambulance arrived and administered CPR.

The transcripts were released to the public on Thursday after Mr Lane's lawyers asked for the case against him to be dismissed.

Shedding fresh light on Mr Floyd’s final moments, they show he pleaded 20 times that he could not breathe, at one point saying:” I can't breathe. can't breathe. Ah! I‘ll probably just die this way.”

Mr Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a forged $20 note to buy cigarettes.

The transcripts show that Mr Floyd apologises repeatedly initially when he is stopped and Lane asks Mr Floyd to show his hands at least 10 times before ordering him to get out of the vehicle.

In response to one of the demands to see his hands, Mr Floyd replies: "Man, I got, I got shot the same way, Mr Officer, before."

As he is restrained, Mr Floyd cries out a dozen times for his late “mama’ and says: "Can't believe this, man. Mom, love you. Love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."

At one point, when Floyd continues to plead he can't breathe, Lane asks Mr Chauvin: "Should we roll him on his side?"

The officer responds: "No, he's staying put where we got him."

When Lane asks “Here, should we get his legs up, or is this good?” Chauvin replies “Leave him”, followed by Keung saying “Just leave him yep” and Chauvin saying again: “Just leave him”.

As onlookers are seen in the transcript urging the officers to stop, Mr Floyd then says: “I’m through, I’m through. I’m claustrophobic. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. Need some water or something, please. Please? Can't breathe officer.”

Chauvin replies: “Then stop talking, stop yelling.” George Floyd says back: “You're going to kill me, man.” Chauvin replies: “Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes heck ot‘a lot of oxygen to talk.”

In his final words, Mr Floyd is seen in the transcript saying: “Come on, man. 0h, oh. [crosstalk 00:15:03]. l cannot breathe. cannot breathe. Ah! They'll kill me. They‘ll kill me. I can't breathe. can‘t breathe. Oh!”

He then adds: “Ah! Ah! Please. Please. Please-".

Chauvin's lawyers have not commented on the documents since they were made public.

Lane's lawyer Earl Gray, who filed the documents, argued that it was "not fair or reasonable" for his client to stand trial on the charges. The transcripts were released in support of his client.

An attorney for Floyd’s family did not immediately return requests for comment. A spokesman for the attorney general’s office said prosecutors planned to oppose the motion to dismiss charges against Lane.

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