A HOMELESS man drowned in Arizona, the United States, while three police officers watched, according to a video and transcript released to the public yesterday.

The officers have been suspended pending the results of multiple investigations into the incident, according to a statement by the city of Tempe.

Police responded to a “reported disturbance” between Sean Bickings, 34, and his partner, who were near an artificial lake on May 28.

Video footage released by the city shows officers speaking to his partner, then Bickings, who after a few minutes climbs over a fence and slowly wades into the lake.

The officers tell him swimming in the lake is not allowed, but he continues to swim out and under a pedestrian bridge.

The video then stops, with the city claiming the remainder is too “sensitive” and instead offers a transcript of the audio.

“So what’s your plan right now?” asks one of the officers, according to the transcript.

“I’m going to drown. I’m going to drown,” said Bickings.

“No, you’re not… go to the pylon and hold on,” responds another officer.

“I can’t. I can’t,” said Bickings.

“Okay, I’m not jumping in after you,” said the second officer.

According to the transcript, the officers again tell the homeless man to swim, while trying to control his partner’s increasingly frantic behaviour.

“Can you hear me?” are the last words attributed to Bickings in the transcript.

One of the officers later notes that Bickings “hasn’t surfaced in about 30 seconds”.

His body was later recovered.

The city said it intends to make public more videos from the officers and cameras in the area in the coming days. – AFP, June 7, 2022.