Passenger in George Floyd’s car describes moments before his death

The woman who was in the back passenger seat of George Floyd’s car on the day of his death said he was “normal, talking and alert” inside Cup Foods before he suddenly fell asleep in the car during her testimony Tuesday. 

Shawanda Renee Hill, the third person called by the defense to take the stand in the murder trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin testified that she ran into Floyd at Cup Foods, and described his behavior as “normal, talking, alert.”

The two then walked to the car, after Floyd offered to give Hill a ride.

Hill said that she and Floyd were talking for approximately eight minutes in the car, until she received a phone call from her daughter.

At that time, Hill said Floyd had fallen asleep in the vehicle. She added that he was “already asleep” when store employees approached the car.

Hill continued to recount the scene, saying that she, a friend and the employees tried to wake up Floyd “over and over.” She said he eventually woke up, said something and “made a little gesture,” before falling back asleep. 

“He already told me in the store he was tired ‘cause he had been working,” Hill said.

Hill confirmed to defense attorney Eric Nelson that Floyd was eventually roused by the police. 

During the prosecution’s cross examination, Hill said that Floyd had walked himself out of the store, and did a small dance as he made his way to the car.

She later testified that she was able to wake Floyd up and converse with him in the car, but noted that “he wasn’t that coherent at the time.”

“He was just awakening?” prosecutor Matthew Frank asked.

“Yes,” Hill answered.

Hill also described the moment when Floyd was awoken by the police.

She said when he saw the police he “instantly grabbed the wheel, and he was like ‘please, please don’t kill me, please, please don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me, what did I do, just tell me what I did, just please don’t kill me, please don’t shoot me.’ ”

Frank also asked if Floyd, after exiting Cup Foods, complained of shortness of breath or chest pains, to which she said, “No.”

“Other than being sleepy or nodding off a little bit, did he seem abnormal to you in any way?” Frank asked.

“No, not at all,” Hill responded.

“And did he seem startled when the officer pulled a gun on him?” Frank asked.

“Very,” Hill answered.

Body camera footage presented in court on Tuesday showed Hill and Morries Hall, a friend of Floyd’s, at the scene of Cup Foods while Floyd was detained.

Hall previously said he would not testify in the trial of Chauvin, invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.

Chauvin is on trial for three criminal counts in connection to the death of Floyd. The trial entered its third week on Monday.