Thomas Lane Bodycam Video Transcript, Part One
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(There appears to be only one online source which maintains a usable public video document of the Thomas Lane video. That source is Fox News, local affiliate FOX9 KMSP in Minneapolis Saint-Paul, Minnesota. The video is here. It is to the credit of FOX9 XMSP, and the people of Minneapolis Saint-Paul, to keep this document where the public can see it.)
(Given such limited access to the video, it’s not feasible to develop a perfectly accurate, objective, complete transcript, especially when the camera view is blocked or multiple people speak at once. Every effort has been made to avoid subjective language. The transcripts are substantially faithful to the content of the video.)
The video starts behind the wheel of Lane's police cruiser. Lane is driving, in command of the patrol unit. A rugged-looking laptop sits in a cradle mounted on the dashboard. The monitor is oriented towards the passenger seat. Officer Kueng is in the passenger seat; his left hand can be seen keying the laptop, constantly switching views or updating the display. Lane pulls his cruiser over to park on the left of what is presumably a one-way street, in front of a corner market. The word "Foods" can be seen on the building, and the words "organic milk" on the awning. This part of the video lasts about thirty seconds. It is silent. Lane activates audio recording, the moment he exits the vehicle.
Lane does not immediately enter the store. He walks to the sidewalk corner and looks down the street to his left. George Floyd's vehicle is there, across the street. A skinny white girl in shorts and a hoodie with the hood up, stands alone on the street corner facing the crosswalk. An expensive-looking bicycle (possibly a decorative fixture) is seen parked on the sidewalk, apparently unlocked. Lane turns to enter the store; Kueng has already entered the vestibule and precedes Lane into the store. Lane unfolds and dons a blue paper face mask. A store employee appears promptly. The employee resembles a fighting Greek in appearance and demeanor. He points across the street with his right forefinger and angrily shakes a scrap of paper in his left hand. A tall black man in a white T-shirt follows close behind. The employee greets the officers, then walks past them, bumping slightly against Lane. As Lane turns to follow the employee, the tall black man is lost to view behind Lane.
Employee: "Gentlemen...sorry."
Lane: "Is the driver in there?"
Employee: "I don't know which one."
Jamaican Accent (off-camera): "Dat blue one over dere."
The employee guides the officers towards the front of the store. A black man in a "U.S." t-shirt sits by the front window of the store, watching the scene. The employee leads the two officers outside and begins to round the corner as the officers follow. In the background you can see the white girl as she runs across the crosswalk.
Lane: "Which one?"
Employee: "That one."
Lane: "OK."
The employee moves as though to accompany Lane, or even lead the way.
Lane: "Just head back in."
Employee: "OK"
Lane and Kueng proceed to cross the two-way street, toward Floyd's car. There is considerable traffic and the two officers wait several seconds to cross. As Lane scans for an opening in the traffic, the illuminated Cup Foods sign is briefly visible on the wall behind him and to his left. A black bicyclist with a backpack coasts by a few feet away, moving easily with the slow traffic. The bicyclist does not react to the presence of the officers.
Lane: "They're moving around a lot."
Lane and Kueng cross the first lane of traffic, fifteen feet behind the crosswalk. The opposite lane is congested; a shiny white pickup with bright LED running lights pauses so the officers can cross. Lane approaches Floyd's car from behind on the driver side; Kueng is presumably on the passenger side. Floyd's car is a dark blue Mecedes-Benz four-door sport model with heavily tinted rear windows. Holding his metal police flashlight as a baton in his left hand, Lane raps on the lower-rear corner of Floyd's driver-side window. Lane's upper body posture is visible, reflected in the glass of the rear driver's side window. Lane is still wearing the blue paper mask. Lane's right arm hangs by his side in a relaxed posture. 1:32
Visible now for the first time in the video, George Floyd can be seen hunched over something on his right side, his face out of sight. When Lane raps on the window, there is a slight delay before Floyd startles at the sound; his head turns suddenly. He startles again at the sight of Lane; throws his hands up, bounds slightly in the car seat.
Floyd: "Oh! Oh!"
Floyd puts his hands down, out of sight, and places his forehead on the steering wheel.
Lane (mimes a hands-up gesture; raps on the window again): "Let me see your hands!"
Floyd instead unlatches the car door and makes as though to get out. Lane blocks the door opening with his left hand.
Floyd: "Damn, man, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"
Lane: "Stay in the car. Let me see your other hand!"
Floyd: "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Lane: "Let me see your other hand!"
Floyd: "Please! Please Mr. Officer!"
Lane: "Both Hands!"
Floyd: "I didn't do nothing!"
During this exchange, Lane opens the door about halfway with his left hand; stows his flashlight; simultaneously draws his sidearm with his right hand; covers Floyd's head. The scene has escalated from contact to deadly-force threat in seventeen seconds.
Lane: "Put your fuckin' hands up right now!"
Floyd: "Sorry! Sorry!"
Lane: "Let me see your other hand!"
Floyd: "Alright! What'd I do, though? Wha-what did we do?"
Floyd is now fully visible: a big black man with a lean, muscular physique. Lane's posture is also visible in reflection; he holds his sidearm not at arm's length, but with his elbow high and to the rear, the weapon held horizontal with the ejection port near Lane's face.
Lane (indicates the steering wheel with his left hand): "Put your hand up there!"
Floyd: "God damn"
Lane: "Put your fuckin hand up there!"
Floyd moves as though to get out of the car; one foot comes out. With his left hand Lane pushes back momentarily against Floyd's shoulder; Floyd withdraws his foot. Lane's sidearm is still visible in reflection, trained on Floyd.
Lane: "Jesus Christ, keep your fuckin hands on the wheel!"
Floyd: "I'm sorry...I got shot!"
Both Floyd's hands are at last visible. They are empty, held in supplicating posture. Lane lowers his voice slightly.
Lane: "Put your fuckin hands on the wheel."
Floyd: "Yes Sir. I'm sorry Mr. Officer."
Floyd puts his hands on the wheel.
Lane: "Who else is in the car?"
Floyd looks and gestures to his right, taking his face and right hand out of view. At the same moment, he puts a foot out of the car. Lane pushes on the door.
Lane: "Put your foot back in."
Floyd complies.
Floyd: "God Damn, man. I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I got shot Mr. Officer. That's my friend. Dang, man. I'm so sorry. I got shot the same way, Mr. Officer. Before."
Again Floyd gestures and glances to his right, momentarily taking his face and right hand out of view. Floyd then turns to face Lane; puts his right hand back on the wheel; and begins to gesture towards Lane with his left hand.
Lane: "Okay well when I say let me see your hands, you put your fuckin hands up!"
Floyd swiftly returns his hands to the wheel, then sets his forehead on the steering wheel, grimacing.
Floyd: "I'm sorry Mr. Officer"
Lane (to Kueng): "You got 'em?"
Floyd: "Dang, man! Sorry, Mr. Officer."
Lane: "Put your hands on top of your head."
Floyd complies, with small inarticulate sounds of despair. Floyd's elbows rest on his knees. In that posture, with his feet on the floor of the car, Floyd's head is inches above the top of the steering wheel where he had rested it before. Lane, still clearly visible in reflection, holsters his sidearm. He covered Floyd for about forty seconds.
Floyd pleads with Lane, taking his hands from his head and resting the wrists on the steering wheel, in explicating posture, turning his face towards Lane.
Floyd: "Last time I got shot like this..."
Lane: "Hands on top of your head. Hands on top of your head."
Floyd crosses his wrists atop the steering wheel and bows his head against them, sobbing slightly; then Floyd complies for the second time, interlacing his fingers atop his head. Lane takes hold of Floyd's interlaced fingers with his left hand. Floyd does not resist Lane's control of Floyd's hands.
Lane: "Step out of the vehicle and step away from me, aright?."
Floyd (crying): "Yes Sir. Man?" (makes no move to comply)
Lane: "Step out and face away! Step out and face away!"
Floyd (weeping): "OK, Mr Officer, please don't shoot me! Please, man!"
Lane: "I'm not gonna shoot you, step out and face away!"
Floyd: "I'm gonna get out now man. Please don't shoot me, man!"
Lane (in slightly softer, but still impatient tone): "I'm not shootin' you, man."
During this time, Floyd's male passenger (black) can be seen sitting in the front passenger seat, then getting out of the car. The male passenger's movements are relaxed, unhurried, natural. The male passenger assumes a posture standing on the sidewalk, within the compass of the open right front passenger door of Floyd's vehicle, facing back towards Lane's camera. In this posture, Kueng would be on the male passenger's left, and that is where the male passenger's attention appears to be focused. The male passenger gets out his wallet and opens it, presumably to show ID to Kueng.
Floyd: "Please, man! I just lost my Mom, man."
Lane: (to dispatch) "...taking one out." (to Floyd) "Step out and face away!"
Floyd: (sobbing) "I'm so sorry."
Lane: "Step out and face away!"
Floyd: "Please don't shoot me Mr. Officer. Please!"
Lane releases Floyd's right-hand fingers and controls Floyd's left arm, two-hands-on-one. Lane extends Floyd's left arm from the car, turns the wrist palm-side down, and locks the elbow. Floyd does not resist.
Floyd: "Don't shoot me, man. Can you not shoot me, man?"
Lane: "I'm not shootin' you Step out and face away." (unpunctuated as written)
Floyd: "OK, OK, OK! Please...please...please man...please...OK, please..."
Floyd turns his face away from Lane, turns his left wrist palm-forward, and flexes the arm. Lane lets the elbow lock go, but keeps a grip on Floyd's wrist.
Lane assists Floyd from the vehicle, pulling on Floyd's wrist and controlling Floyd's shoulder by way of the upper arm. Floyd cooperates with Lane's assistance to his arm and shoulder, and remains facing away. As Floyd exits the vehicle, the two men suddenly scuffle. The video goes dark, the audio muffled as Lane apparently shoves up against Floyd's body to keep Floyd in place against the car door.
Floyd: "I didn't know, Mr. Officer. I didn't know. I didn't know. Please!"
Female Voice (loud): "Stop resistin'. What the FUCK?"
Lane: "Get your fuckin hands behind your back. Put your fuckin hands behind your back right now! Stop movin!"
Floyd: (unintelligible)
Lane: "Put your hands behind your back then! Face the door!"
Floyd: "I'm not gonna do nothin"!"
Floyd's hands are seen behind his back with the wrists close together; it appears Lane has caught both Floyd's thumbs in his right hand, much as he caught the fingers before. Kueng joins the action, coming in on Lane's left.
Lane: (to Kueng) "Get his other arm."
Kueng takes Floyd's left arm. Lane controls Floyd's right arm two-on-one; places the arm in a chicken-wing hold; secures Floyd's right wrist with his left hand; deploys the cuffs with his right.
Floyd: (sobbing loudly) "I'm sorry Mr. Officer I'll get on my knees, whatever!"
Lane: "Stop resisting man!"
Floyd: "I'm not!"
Lane: "Yes you are." (shouts towards the sidewalk) "Hey! Come back! Stay in the car!"
Kueng controls Floyd's left arm, two-on-one. Lane applies the left cuff and releases Floyd's right arm from the chicken-wing. With assistance from Kueng, Lane applies the right cuff. 3:42
Lane: (to Kueng) "Take 'im!"
(2:10 from contact to cuffs)