Minneapolis : Police union says it's been 'scapegoated' after Floyd death

Leaders of Minneapolis police union ackwledged Tuesday that bystander video of police encounter with George Floyd was "horrific" but said y've been denied chance to look at body camera video that could shed more light on what happened before Floyd ended up on ground.

Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, pressed his knee into his neck for nearly 8 minutes and held it re even after Floyd said he couldn't brea and stopped moving.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three or officers are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter.

All four officers were fired.

union issued a statement soon after Floyd died cautioning public t to rush to judgment and saying union would provide its “full support” to officers.

union has since been mostly silent. But on Tuesday, union's president, Lt. Bob Kroll, told “CBS This Morning” that he thinks union members are being scapegoated for incompetent department leadership.

Kroll ackwledged that widely seen cellphone video of Floyd's death is "horrific," but that union was left “blindsided” by being denied right to review officer body camera video.

"Right w we cant make an informed decision regarding or officers that do t appear on camera,” he said.

Union director Rich Walker said “any human being” that watches bystander video kws that Floyd's arrest “should t have ended way it did.” But Walker questioned statements that Floyd didn't resist officers because union hasn't seen foot of minutes leading up to what bystander video showed.

After Floyd's death, Chief Medaria Arradondo said he was pausing contract negotiations with union to consider major changes.

Anna Hedberg, ar union director, told “CBS This Morning” that before Floyd's death union had been having “great conversations” with city leaders and Arradondo. She said it's “dumbfounding to me that one incident, we become scapegoat to having a bad officer.” (AP) MRJ