The shocking new Rob Ford video, in which he says “I need f—ing 10 minutes to make sure he’s dead” [UPDATED]

The shocking new Rob Ford video, in which he says “I need f—ing 10 minutes to make sure he’s dead” [UPDATED]

Just after noon, the Toronto Star released this Rob Ford video, in which an enraged, erratic mayor screams threatening and violent utterances, including “I need fucking 10 minutes to make sure he’s dead.” It is unclear who the “he” is, and the context on the video is also a mystery.

Shortly after the Star published the clip, Ford emerged from his office to speak to the assembled crowd of reporters. Clearly emotional, the mayor explained he was “extremely, extremely inebriated” when the clip was taped, but wouldn’t give any further context. “All I can say is, again, I’ve made mistakes,” he said. “It’s extremely embarrassing. The whole world’s going to see it. You know what? I don’t have a problem with that. But it is extremely embarrassing.”

Considered the “third video” in the parlance of our times (the first is the infamous one that is in possession of police, the second is the one Bill Blair referred to at his press conference last week), the clip first appeared in truncated form on the Toronto Sun‘s website alongside a story that someone was looking to sell it for thousands of dollars. The Toronto Star, in a pretty wild departure from its previous ethical stance, admits to purchasing the video, although it’s unclear who the seller was.

The full version, which you can see above (or at the Star here), is more violent and outrageous that the clip published initially by the Sun, but it also more vexing. A source “close to the mayor” went on record with the Sun, saying the video “looks a lot worse than it really is…[Ford] sometimes goes off on tangents.” The rage-filled behaviour of the mayor in the video “is also consistent with several conversations I’ve had with Ford in which he used similar inflammatory vernacular,” said the source.

Here is a full transcript of what is said in the video:

FORD: ‘Cause I’m going to kill that fucking guy. I’m telling you it’s first-degree murder.

MYSTERY VOICE: Mike Tyson!

FORD: But I’ll fight him. I’ll [something squeaky, exasperated and unintelligible]

A DIFFERENT MYSTERY VOICE: Gimme the phone.

FORD: No holds barred, brother. He dies or I die, brother. Brother, you’ve never seen me fucking go. You think so, brother? But when he’s down, I’ll rip his fucking throat out. I’ll poke his eyes out. I will, fuck, when he’s dead, you help make sure that motherfucker’s dead. I need fucking 10 minutes to make sure he’s dead. It’ll be over in five minutes, brother. If I’m done in 10 minutes.

MYSTERY VOICE: After you win—

FORD: It’ll be a bad scene. I am a sick motherfucker, dude. Like, no one’s going to fuck around with me. My brothers are, don’t tell me we’re liars, thieves, birds? It hurts. That little prick’s a racist fuck, daddy. [garbled] Randy walks [garbled] 80-year-old birds. This shit, brother. I just need to go fucking by myself in my fucking underwear. I want to go with this guy.  I need 15 minutes, that’s all. No fucking interference, brother. If I win, I will fucking donate.

MYSTERY VOICE: These kids are pros, buddy.

FORD: Yeah? No problem, bro. No problem. I need 15 minutes. I need 15 minutes.

MYSTERY VOICE: Too much time.

FORD: No, no, no.

MYSTERY VOICE: Five minutes.

FORD: No, no, no. Not going to do it for five. No, no, no, no, no. Not doing it in five. I’m going to prepare for it. I will call it. And I will fucking be in that ring.