A man drowned to death in a lake in Arizona while police officers stood by and allegedly ignored his requests for help, according to a transcript from the interaction camera.
Police responded to a reported riot between a couple near the Elmore pedestrian bridge in Tempe on May 28, when one of the people jumped into the lake, local station News 12 reported.
Sean Bickings, 34, and his partner denied there was a physical altercation when police arrived shortly after 5 a.m.
Officers then told the couple they were checking their names to see if any of them had unfulfilled arrest warrants when Bikings climbed over a four-meter fence into the water and dived, according to footage from News 12.
“I’m going to go swimming,” Bickings said in the video. Am I free to go right?
The cops told Bickings that he was not allowed to swim in the lake because they were standing on the other side of the fence.
You can see Biking pulling a few blows from shore while an officer asks the others, “How far do you think he can swim?” Before the video ends.
Tempe police did not release the full video of the incident because they said the drowning itself was too sensitive, according to News12, and instead provided a transcript of the footage.
Sean Bikings climbed over Elmore Footbridge and jumped into the water. Google Maps
In the transcript, Bikings tells police that he is drowning and they tell him to swim to the pylon and hold on to it to stay afloat.
“We’re drowning,” he said.
“Go back to the pylon,” an officer replied.
“I can not. “I can’t,” Bickings said.
“Okay, I’m not going to jump after you,” said the other officer.
“Please help me. Please, please, please,” Bikiks asked. “I can’t touch. Oh, God, please help me. Help me.”
Bikix’s partner also asks the police to do something to help him.
“I’m just upset because he’s drowning right in front of you and you’re not going to help,” she said.
One of the officers threatened to put her in his police car if she did not calm down, according to the transcript.
The woman replies that she tried to calm down, but became emotional because she loved Bikings and cared for him a lot.
At least one officer tried to take a boat to save Bickings, but it was too late.
Bikings went below the water and drowned.
It is not clear how much time elapsed between entering the water and drowning. His body was removed from the lake hours later at 11:20 p.m.
Scottsdale Police and the Public Safety Department are investigating the incident and police response.
The three police officers, who responded to the alarm and witnessed the drowning, were put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, according to News12.
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