A witness who saw Minneapolis police officers attempt to take George Floyd into custody broke down on the stand while testifying at the former Officer’s trial ‘Derek Chauvin’ after prosecutors showed the bodycam footage of the encounter.
The footage shows George appearing to resist the officers’ attempts to put him inside the squad car while telling the police officers that he was claustrophobic. He then called out for his mother and started saying he couldn’t breathe when police put him on the ground. He called out that he was dying and he said “tell my kids I love them.”
The testimony and recordings were hard to listen to and to watch.
McMillian was asked by the prosecution how he felt watching the incident unfold, McMillian lost control of his emotions while testifying.
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“I feel helpless,” McMillian, 61, said through tears. “I don’t have a mama either.”
Judge Peter A. Cahill then called for a brief recess.
McMillian said he lives near the convenience store where this encounter unfolded, where Floyd died. He testified that he stopped to observe the encounter when he was driving by the scene on May 25, 2020.
Watch:
Witness Charles McMillian breaks down after prosecutors play body cam video of George Floyd’s death pic.twitter.com/2h35CWsYPa
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 31, 2021