“They’re trying to George Floyd me” Heartbreaking footage shows man being restrained by police before his death
A cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, was killed by Los Angeles police after he got in a traffic accident.
Officers who showed up following the car collision repeatedly tased him while restraining him in the middle of the street, according to body-camera footage and his family’s account.
Footage from the encounter on January 3 was released on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
It showed Keenan Anderson, a 31-year-old high school teacher and father, begging for help as multiple officers held him down.
At one point, he is heard saying: “They’re trying to George Floyd me.”
One officer had his elbow on Anderson’s neck while he was lying down before another tased him for roughly 30 seconds straight before pausing and tasing him again for five more seconds.
“My cousin was asking for help, and he didn’t receive it. He was killed,” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors told the Guardian after watching the LAPD footage.
“Nobody deserves to die in fear, panicking and scared for their life. My cousin was scared for his life. He spent the last 10 years witnessing a movement challenging the killing of Black people. He knew what was at stake and he was trying to protect himself. Nobody was willing to protect him.”
Before Anderson was killed, an officer who first arrived at the scene of the car collision at around 3.30 pm at Venice and Lincoln boulevards found Anderson in the middle of the road, saying, “Please help me.”
The officer told him to go on the sidewalk, and issued commands, saying, “Get up against the wall.”
Anderson held his hands up, responding, “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”
Anderson complied with the officer’s commands and sat down on the sidewalk. After a few minutes, he appeared to be concerned with the officer’s behaviour, saying, “I want people to see me,” and “You’re putting a thing on me.”
Eventually, Anderson started to flee, at which point the officer chased him on his motorcycle, shouting, “Get down to the ground, now,” and “Turn over on your stomach.”
Anderson repeatedly responded, “Please help me,” and “They’re trying to kill me,” as multiple officers arrived and held him down.
One of them placed his elbow and body weight on Anderson’s neck while he was lying with his back on the ground.
At this point, the officer standing above him shouted, “Turn over or I’m going to tase you.”
While he was being tased, Anderson repeatedly said, “Help me,” as the officer told him to stop resisting.
Paramedics later arrived at the scene and took him to a hospital where, according to the LAPD, he went into cardiac arrest four and a half hours later and died.
