Three Arizona police have been placed on leave after allegedly acknowledging and ignoring a man who was drowning and crying for help.
Three police officers in Tempe, Arizona, have been placed on “non-disciplinary paid administrative leave” following an incident in which they allegedly ignored 34-year-old Sean Bickings, who was drowning in Tempe Town Lake in Arizona. While a full investigation continues, the officers have been placed on leave, according to NPR.
Last month, officers responded to a call outside if the Tempe Center for the Arts about a disturbance taking place a little after 5 a.m. When police arrived, they found Bickings and his companion, NPR reports. Police described Bickings as an “unsheltered Tempe community member.”
While cops ran Bickings’ and his companion’s information through a database, Bickings ended up taking off a metal fence and then started swimming in Tempe Town Lake. His escape was captured on the officers’ body cam footage. However, the video cut off once Bickings starts to struggle in the water.
“I’m drowning,” Bickings is heard in the footage. An officer then tells him to swim to a pylon, but he responds saying that he’s not able to.
The officer then says, “Okay, I’m not jumping in after you.” Bickings then replies, “I can’t touch. Oh God. Please help me. Help me.” NPR reports Bickings died from drowning.
Authorities say they plan to release all footage from all three of the cops but stated that the video will be edited “due to its graphic, sensitive nature.”
