US police let man drown: "I won't jump after you"

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Police officers in Tempe, 34-year-old (right, filmed with bodycam): "What do you want to do now?"

Photo: City of Tempe

In the United States, a man drowned in front of idle police officers.

As can be seen in a video released by the authorities in the city of Tempe, Arizona on Monday, the 34-year-old climbed into a reservoir at the end of May when the three police officers wanted to question him.

According to a transcript, the man called for help, but police officers didn't respond.

The police were called to the site around 5 a.m. because a couple was said to have argued and caused noise, according to the New York Times, among others.

According to the announcement, they first questioned the man's partner.

Then they also wanted to question the 34-year-old.

According to the authorities, the police also wanted to check whether there was an arrest warrant for the man, who had no permanent address.

As can be seen on the video, however, he climbed over a railing into the lake.

The police officers told him that swimming in the lake was not allowed.

"I will drown"

However, the man swam under a bridge.

At this point the video ends;

the authorities keep the other recordings under lock and key because they are too sensitive.

Instead, they released a transcript.

It reads how a policeman calls down to the man: "What do you want to do now?" He replies: "I'm going to drown.

I'm going to drown.” The policeman replies: “But no”.

A second police officer tells the man in distress to swim to a bridge pier and hold on to it.

"I can't, I can't," says the swimmer.

"I won't jump after you," says the second policeman.

Accordingly, the police officers do not react to the man's girlfriend, who begs her to help her partner.

Police temporarily suspended

"Can you hear me?" are the last words attributed to the drowning man.

Later, one of the police officers states that he "hasn't shown up for about 30 seconds".

The man's body was recovered in the late morning.

The three police officers have been suspended from duty pending the results of an investigation.

wit/AFP