On Friday, the court released the interrogation footage of former Minneapolis officer, Tou Thao, where he reveals that he could have been “more observant” during the George Floyd’s arrest.
In the 40-minute interview, Thao tells investigators that he was nervous about the “superhuman strength” Floyd could have been experiencing due to his overdose. According to Thao, he claims he briefly saw former officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck, but his attention was solely on the crowd.
“Was the crowd letting you know there was a change in Mr. Floyd’s disposition?” the investigator asked.
“Yes, they were saying he wasn’t moving,” Thao replied.
“Did you have concerns about that?”
“Umm…I was concerned about the crowd. I would hope the other officers would do their jobs.”
Despite the crowd pleading with Thao to check on Floyd during the arrest, it was “not his job.”
Thao heard Floyd yelling, “I can’t breathe,” but “his training led him to believe he could actually breathe at the time,” he revealed.
“He was obviously yelling and talking,” he said.
Later, when Thao heard the news of Floyd’s death, he said his “heart sank.”
“Do you think you could have some something different to intervene?” an investigator asked.
“I’m under the belief that you can always fo something differently on every single call… I guess I would be more observant toward Floyd.”
Thao is being charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. He is currently out on bond.
