Witness Donald Williams Testimony in Derek Chauvin Trial Transcript: "I Believe I Witnessed a Murder"

Lawyer: (00:00) At some point, did you make a 911 call? Donald Williams: (00:04) That is correct. I did call the police on the police. Lawyer: (00:07) All right. Why did you do that? Donald Williams: (00:10) Because I believe I witnessed a murder. Lawyer: (00:15) And so you felt a need to call the police. Donald Williams: (00:17) Yeah, I felt the need to call the police on the police. Lawyer: (00:20) Now there were police there, right? Donald Williams: (00:21) There were police there. Lawyer: (00:24) Okay. Why didn't you just talk to them about it? Donald Williams: (00:27) I believe that they didn't ... We just didn't have no connection. I spoke to them, but not on a connection of a human being relationship. Lawyer: (00:38) Did you, well, believe that they were involved? Donald Williams: (00:44) Yes, totally. Lawyer: (00:48) So when you made that 911 call, about how long after the ambulance left was that? Donald Williams: (00:56) Time recollection, I don't know. Lawyer: (00:58) A matter of minutes? Donald Williams: (00:59) Maybe seconds. Not too long after they retreated to the other side of the street, I proceeded to call the police. Lawyer: (01:08) And prior to today, have you had an opportunity to listen to a recording of that 911 call? Donald Williams: (01:18) Can you please repeat that question? Lawyer: (01:20) Prior to coming to court today, did we play for you a copy of that 911 call, a recording of it? Donald Williams: (01:30) I will not say yes or no. I cannot remember at this moment. Lawyer: (01:33) If you heard that today, would you be able to recognize it as the 911 call that you made? Donald Williams: (01:37) That is correct. Lawyer: (01:38) All right. We have now marked that as exhibit 20. And your honor, we would ask that it'd be ... Well, we are offering it now as exhibit 20. Speaker 3: (01:52) 20 is received. Lawyer: (01:53) All right. So if we can at this point then play exhibit 20. Speaker 4: (02:00) [inaudible 00:02:00] 207. Name. 25, 2002. [911 Call Recording] Speaker 5: (02:03) 911. What's the address of the emergency? Donald Williams: (02:07) The officers are trying to definitely killing a citizen in front of a Chicago store. He just pretty much just killed this guy that wasn't resisting arrest. He had his knee on the dude's neck the whole time, officer 987. The men went and stopped breathing. He wasn't resisting arrest or nothing. He was already in handcuffs. They pretty much ... It's stupid, dude. I don't even know if he's dead for sure, but he was not responsive when the ambulance came and got him. And the officer that was just out here left, the one that actually just murdered him in front of everybody on 38th and Chicago. Speaker 5: (02:42) Would you like to speak with a sergeant? Donald Williams: (02:45) Yeah. That was bogus, what they just did to this man. He was was unresponsive. He wasn't resisting arrest, or any of it. Speaker 5: (02:52) Okay. Let me get you over to the desk, so you can request to speak with a Sergeant. Donald Williams: (02:55) Man, I'm sitting here, talking with another off duty firefighter that keeps saying they're watching in front of us as well. She told him to check the man's pulse, but they wouldn't even check the pulse. Speaker 5: (03:05) Okay. One second. Speaker 6: (03:13) You have reached the city of Minneapolis. To reach someone in our property crimes division- Donald Williams: (03:18) Murderers, bro. Y'all are murderers, pal. You're going to kill yourself, I already know it. Two more years, you don't shoot yourself. Murderers, bro. Speaker 7: (03:29) Minneapolis 3rd precinct. Speaker 5: (03:30) Hey, it's dispatch. Donald Williams: (03:32) Yeah, man. I want to speak to a supervisor. Yeah, go ahead. Speaker 5: (03:35) Yeah, he wants to speak with a supervisor relating to 320's calls. Donald Williams: (03:48) He killed that man in front of the store. Speaker 3: (03:49) 203346, May 25, 2020. Lawyer: (03:49) Is that an accurate recording of the call you made? Donald Williams: (03:51) That is correct. Lawyer: (03:53) And at the beginning you referred to officer 987. Where did you get that number from? Donald Williams: (03:59) Honestly, it was just visually popping in my head. I looked at his badge and that's what I read on his badge. Lawyer: (04:08) So whose badge, which officer were you referring to? Donald Williams: (04:11) The officer sitting over there. Lawyer: (04:14) Was that also the officer that had his knee on George Floyd's neck? Donald Williams: (04:17) That is correct. Lawyer: (04:18) For the record, in your previous answer, you were pointing to the defendant, Mr. Chauvin? Donald Williams: (04:22) That's correct. Lawyer: (04:27) Okay. So the purpose in making ... What was the purpose in making that 911 call at that time? Donald Williams: (04:34) I just felt like that was the right thing to do. I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know what to do. Lawyer: (04:42) I'm sorry. I cut you off. Donald Williams: (04:43) But call. Lawyer: (04:45) And the response then was to transfer you to a sergeant, correct? Donald Williams: (04:49) That's correct. Lawyer: (04:50) And then at some point the call, it sounds like you're talking to Officer Thao. Do you recall if you were actually talking to Officer Thao at that point? Donald Williams: (04:58) That is correct. I was, because I think at the moment, or I don't think at the moment that I was making the call, he proceeded to intimidate me and stick his camera in my face, his body cam. Lawyer: (05:15) And the call ends abruptly. Did you hang up to terminate the call? Donald Williams: (05:21) I'm not 100% sure, but I may have be I felt threatened once our interaction happened in front of the store with me and Thao. Lawyer: (05:31) And then from there after hanging up, did you stick around for a while and talk to some other people there? Donald Williams: (05:39) Yeah. I went to do my own investigation. Lawyer: (05:42) Your honor, I have no further questions.