CNN on Tuesday reviewed more than two hours of video from multiple police body cameras released by a lawyer who was recently acquitted of bullets at officers after firing non-lethal shots on May 30.
May 30 was perhaps the most vigorous response by CNN employees to the protests seen on the ground up to that point in the week. This happened five days later when buildings burned down for several nights and George Floyd died. Curfew was imposed in the entire city from 8 o’clock that evening.
In a video that is timestamped at around 1 a.m. on May 31, 2020, then (he’s retired) Minneapolis Police Commander Bruce Falkens is heard saying during a debrief to an officer, “Today The night was nice to hear, ‘We’re going to find some people instead of chasing people around.'” He continued, “You guys are hunting people now, and it’s a nice change of pace.”
On May 30 at around 10:40 p.m. Minneapolis Police Sgt. Andrew Bittle is heard saying, “We’re rolling down Lake St. The first f**kers we see, we’re only handling them with 40,” apparently referring to the 40mm Nonathle round. Happened. Something Minneapolis police officers use to control the crowd. or during civil disobedience.
Five minutes later, they speed to a gas station, “Go, go, go, get up there!”
“Let them do it, boys,” said Bittle.
As they begin firing on the group, the group disintegrates, and the officers later learn that the group consists of the gas station owner and his family and friends who were there to defend the station.
At a different location after 10 p.m. on May 30, 2020, Lieutenant Johnny Mersil approached Officer Michael Ausbeck and said, “Yeh media f**k.”
He joked, “Wait a second, let me check your credentials, just make a few phone calls to verify.”
Mersil told the officer that it was time to start putting people in jail instead of scattering them. He also said it would “prove the mayor wrong about this ‘out-of-state white supremacist’.” Although this group is probably predominantly white, as there is no looting and fire.”
Mercill oversees the MPD’s use of force training and was a prosecution witness in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of the May 25, 2020 murder of Floyd.
Officers are identified by order of a state court in line with body camera video.
The footage was released Tuesday by attorney Eric Rice, representing a man named Jaleel Stallings, who has recently been acquitted of eight counts tied to May 2020, including second-degree murder, first-degree murder, and first-degree murder. Murder and first-degree murder are included. assault, second degree assault and second degree riot.
The jury acquitted Stallings after a July trial.
“The evidence contradicts reports made by law enforcement officers, as well as common assumptions about how law enforcement and the criminal justice system should operate,” Rice told CNN. “I am pleased that the public can review the evidence for themselves and compare it to statements made by relevant authorities and prosecutors. Through transparency, I hope that our law enforcement and criminal justice systems will improve. You can go.”
Some of the footage released shows part of the stalling incident. According to his lawyer, Rice, Stallings said he was “aware of credible threats from white supremacists and other civilians who were harmed that evening,” and so he placed a gun in the back seat of his truck.
A man later ran near the parking lot and Stalling and his group were shouting, “They’re shooting, they’re shooting!” Stallings didn’t know, “The man was running a block away from the (Minneapolis Police) Unit 1281’s unmarked van,” Rice said.
Stalling then hid behind his truck, at which point he had pulled his gun out of the truck, while the other members of his group got into their cars to leave. According to Rice, as Stallings attempted to approach the driver’s side door, an officer fired a 40 mm non-lethal round in Stallings’ direction.
Nonlethal rounds and later gunshots are heard in the body camera footage of the sergeant. Bittal on the night of 30 May.
“Mr. Stallings thought he had been shot and was bleeding. At the time, Mr. Stallings was not aware and had no reason to believe that there were law enforcement officers in the van,” his lawyer said. According to Rice. “Mr. Stalling stopped going towards the door of his truck and shifted his weight backwards so that it could cover the rear of his truck. Mr Stallings raised his shotgun to extinguish the fire towards the van so that he could take cover to prevent further shots as he came in.
“Mr. Stalls fired toward the ground in front of the van to stop the attack. Mr. Stallings testified that he fired in a controlled manner to minimize the risk of harm or death to the occupants of the van at that location. firing. Mr. Stallings testified. Stalling wanted to show force to disrupt further attack and force the van to flee the area,” according to Rice.
According to the initial criminal complaint, Stallings “bent down as if to pick something up. Officers were concerned that another rock or piece of debris was being thrown at him and a 40 mm round was deployed at Stallings. Almost immediately.” ” , Officer A watched the muzzle of three to four gunshots flash from Stalling’s chest toward law enforcement. There was a ruckus and a raid in front of the officers. After Officer A believed that the officer in front of him had been killed, Stallings fled and hid in the back of the truck. The officers then got out of the van and went to trace the stallings. The officers came out and approached the truck from both sides. Officials described it as a deadly force majeure. believed because they believed that Stalling was still armed and could kill him.”
CNN has contacted the Minneapolis Police Department for comment on the body camera video released Tuesday, as well as with respect to specific law enforcement designated with the Minneapolis Police Federation, but has received no response.
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