By Linh Nguyen
Following the killing of George Floyd by an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, the National Black Police Association issued a statement seeking justice by calling for immediate, appropriate action.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. The officers involved at the scene were responding to a call about a man suspected of forgery. They found Floyd sitting atop a blue car and appearing to be under the influence. According to the original police report, Floyd “physically resisted officers” after being told to get off the vehicle. The officers placed Floyd in handcuffs and called for an ambulance as it appeared Floyd was suffering medical distress. A bystander video shows Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck during the arrest, compressing his airway, while Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. After a few minutes, Floyd lost consciousness and was presumed dead. Floyd was pronounced dead later that night at the hospital. The bystander video was shared to social media and sparked masses of people and organizations demanding justice for George Floyd and an end to institutionalized racism.
The National Black Police Association, a national organization dedicated to promoting advocacy, fairness and justice for officers of color, voiced their dismay at the brutality committed by the police force against a member of the Black community.
“His death was unnecessary and grossly negligent,” the statement said. “The question becomes the true intent of the officers, and the ongoing law enforcement conversation surrounding the preventable deaths of Black citizens, which is often an aspect of policing that goes unresolved in response to these deadly incidents.”
Based on the surveillance video, Floyd, in handcuffs, was calmly walked from the blue car and seated nearby. However, video footage showing how Floyd ended up on the ground with Chauvin’s knee on his neck is missing.
The original police report did not detail Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck, nor did it detail Floyd being pinned to the ground. It did not refer to the bystander video. The morning after, the police department issued a statement entitled “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.”
In the aftermath of the event, the FBI is conducting a federal civil rights investigation. Furthermore, the four officers present at the scene were fired.
“We are pleased to know that Chief Medaria Arradondo took swift action in the firing of the four officers involved,” the NBPA said. “We are pleased to know that the FBI is part of the investigation
so quickly. We also expect appropriate charges, prosecution, and conviction for the killing of Mr. Floyd. However, true justice for Mr. Floyd and the Black community is long from done.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey actually requested that the FBI investigate. He also said that firing the officers was the “right call.
“Being Black in America should not be a death sentence,” Mayor Frey said in a statement posted to Twitter the morning after Floyd’s death. He continued, “What we saw is horrible. Completely and utterly messed up. The man’s life matters. He matters. He was someone[‘s] son. Someone’s family member. Someone’s friend. He was a human being and his life mattered. Whatever the investigation reveals, it does not change the simple truth, he should still be with us this morning. I believe what I saw and what I saw is wrong on every level. This does not reflect the values Chief Arradondo has worked tirelessly to fulfill. To our Black community, to the family: I’m so sorry.”
In contrast, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis avoided referring to remarks against racism in their statement, which said, “Now is not the time to rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.”
“Respectfully, no one can deny what was seen–that a man’s life was taken unnecessarily, and attempts to cite ‘training’ and other common phrasing used after police-answerable deaths of Black citizens, does not relinquish the officers of responsibility or the criminal justice system of accountability,” the NBPA said in response to the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis’s statement.
Floyd’s family is seeking to press murder charges against the involved officers. Ben Crump, a national civil rights attorney, is representing Floyd’s family.
“This abusive, excessive and inhumane use of force cost the life of a man who was being detained by the police for questioning about a non-violent charge,” Attorney Crump said in a statement. “We will seek justice for the family of George Floyd, as we demand answers from the Minnesota Police Department. How many “while black” deaths will it take until racial profiling and undervaluing of black lives by police finally ends?”
The case of George Floyd called for public comparison to previous events of police brutality against African Americans, including the cases of Eric Garner in 2014 and Oscar Grant in 2009. Protests of hundreds of people emerged across the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Minneapolis, the police used tear gas to break up these protests.
“Let’s speak truths: In America, it is clear that the humanity of Black people appears invisible to law enforcement,” the NBPA said in their conclusion. “What other explanation would there be for Chauvin to lean on the neck of a handcuffed Black man until he dies?” And, “Armed White men are allowed to stand on the steps of government buildings and protest that their liberty is being stepped on, unchallenged by law enforcement. But, too often, when unarmed Black citizens are alleged to have committed minor violations, freedom is no longer at play, and the door opens for death at the very hands of those who should be protecting and serving.
“The National Black Police Association calls on police chiefs and executives, and our partners in social justice and criminal justice reform to take heed and appropriate action now! Our power is in our collective missions. This is not a time to remain silent, nor is it a time to just give polite platitudes and statements that we are watching or continue to repeat that officers must be held accountable. We already know that. What are we going to do about law enforcement abuses and continued trauma? What will we do to ensure complete and true justice in this and every other case that we ‘monitor’? Our communities are calling on us, and the NBPA is calling on you, like us, to step up your game.”
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As a lifelong die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, I was very pleased to read the following story https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2020/05/28/eagles-carson-wentz-condemns-institutional-racism-in-this-country-after-death-of-george-floyd/
Eagles’ Carson Wentz Condemns ‘Institutional Racism In This Country’ After Death Of George Floyd
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is using his platform to condemn the death of George Floyd, who died during a Monday arrest in Minneapolis, in which an officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes. Wentz tweeted a lengthy statement Thursday night, saying “the institutional racism in this country breaks my heart and needs to stop.”
“Can’t even fathom what the black community has to endure on a daily basis,” Wentz wrote. “I don’t understand the society we live in that doesn’t value all human life. It’s heartbreaking and disturbing. My prayers go out to every man, woman and child that has to endure the effects of the racism in our society.”
I found Carson’s comment very profound and moving.
The quote that hit me was: “Being from North Dakota, I’ve spent a large part of my life surrounded by people of similar color, so I’m never gonna act like I know what the black community goes through or even has gone through already.”
Right… the rampages, including looting and torching properties are clearly justifiable given past history and current racist system. Got it.
To whom is the quote, “Burn, baby, burn” attributed to?
In Your generation – “Disco Inferno”
As I said in a different thread – lawbreaking doesn’t help the situation. But if you focus on the reaction, you don’t solve the problem.
And if you don’t focus on the reaction you won’t stop rioters feeling they have the right to loot and burn down buildings.
Which indicates that you believe the primary problem is the riot, not the underlying issues or precipitating event.
“To whom is the quote, “Burn, baby, burn” attributed to?”
50s R&B DJ Nathaniel Magnificent Montague. It was his catch phrase when promoted soul music on KGFG , Los Angeles. It became the slogan of the 1965 Watts riots. After criticism about inciting violence, he advocated non-violence and urged young listeners to pursue their education, coining the new phrase “Learn, baby! Learn!”
The more you know.
It is heartening to hear of a prominent citizen ( of whom I had never heard) speaking out on this issue. IMO, it is going to take many, many prominent voices from both the political and nonpolitical realms to awaken people whom it does not affect directly to the reality of systemic racism.
Tia, here’s a prominent citizen, the mayor of Atlanta speaking words of wisdom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVs8JXqLPs8
The officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck has been arrested
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/29/george-floyd-minneapolis-protests-live-updates/
As he should be and charged with murder.
Next the police should go after the arsonists and looters and arrest them too.
Anyone who has committed a serious crime should be prosecuted. Glad you agree he should be charged with murder. Actually I would argue third degree murder is a bit light, but it’s a start.
Like I stated before, the protesters had the whole country behind them with what this cop did. He should be facing a life sentence. But many of the protesters totally blew it with their actions and that’s what will be remembered.
I doubt it was a high percentage. A strategic flaw with non-violent protest is that those being non-violent have to be very aware and aggressive to stop those that turn to violence and destruction, lest the news and narrative are lost. “Whatever it takes to get their attention” loses the support of those that could be brought along . . . the supporters movements most need. Violence only brings the sympathy of those that believe violence is an acceptable method.
Alan, it takes a lot of protesters to completely loot an entire Target store.
The shelves looked like the empty toilet paper racks at the beginning of the COVID lockdown.
KO, what does it gain you to paint them as “a lot” and “protestors” ?
I basically agree that the reaction is also important, but not drumming it up to the point that the message of the protestors is lost. That’s exactly what the problem is when the angry mob takes over.
To be clear… you’re saying the MN DA under-charged? I agree, but surprising to hear that from you, as you seem to believe DA’s over-charge… but, wait, the perp is a cop… now I get it…
He’s already fired… should he get OR due to risk of covid?
Keith
“and that’s what will be remembered.”
That may well be what you remember. What I will remember is the name, George Floyd. Just as I remember Philando Castille, and Tamir Rice, and Stephon Clarke, and many of the black women, but especially men and boys who have been killed by police who either acted precipitously without any attempt at fact-finding whether out of fear or malice, either of which should disqualify them from acting as police officers.
Tia brings up a point that could be lost in all of this – Philando Castille was also Minnesota and the failure to convict in this case probably plays a role in the reaction to Floyd.
What is sad is that the alternate narrative has been lost and please don’t get me wrong I don’t condone burning and looting.
Let’s see if we can agree on what appear to be the current understanding of the facts.
Mr. Floyd gets laid off because of the Corona virus shutdown. He passes a bad bill and gets caught. A policeman with a long history of bad conduct and his partners lose control of their actions and end up killing him in broad daylight and with cameras rolling. The locals go crazy waiting for the DA to act.
Instead of using this as a novel argument for the need to re-open the economy the predictable blame the looters who exploit this arguments appear as if they represent the totality of the black community. Too bad there isn’t any more creative thinking about how to spin this from the rotting head of the fish all the way down to the usual suspects on the Davis Vanguard.
Ron, please show me where I wrote anything about the the looters and arsonists being the “black community”.
Many of those arsonists and looting rioters were white.
But since you brought it up, speaking of “the usual suspects on the Davis Vanguard.”
Today you have an exemption from being a usual suspect.
You don’t.
I think of myself as more of an unusual suspect.
LOL, good comeback.
I think I’m more of that too.
I do don’t
As long as the “Keiths” of this world choose to listen to the purporters at Fox Noise and callously ignore the suffering of their neighbors at the hands of lazy, unrepentant, un-educable thugs who treat human life like a disposable pop can, there will be no peace and no resolution.
Another lovely night of rioting, arson, property damage and looting.
But hey, they’re just a few outliers, they don’t represent the good protesters.
I’ve been told that we shouldn’t concentrate on the riots because it doesn’t solve the problem.
So riot at will, burn it down, loot away because we shouldn’t be concentrating on that.
This schit is getting out of hand. SUV plows through protesters in Bakersfield.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/terrifying-footage-shows-car-plowing-through-protest-crowds-in-bakersfield-california
With what’s going on now with the civil unrest, Covid and the crumbling economy it’s time to get a gun. It’s only going to get worse.
” it’s time to get a gun.”
That’s probably the last thing we need – more fuel to the fire
If the mobs turn on the neighborhoods you need some protection.
We all saw how little the Minneapolis Police did the last two nights to protect its downtown and its own police precinct.
That mayor in Minneapolis is a joke. He’s toast next election.
As we saw in Georgia, guns lead to poor decisions on all sides.
Georgia? What are you talking about? The Arbrey shooting?
See, this is what you do. Most people, probably 99% +++, getting a gun to protect their home and family doesn’t mean they’re going to go out and chase down people and shoot them.
But if people cite that COVID released inmates are committing crimes including killings you want to say that’s only 5% and we shouldn’t hold that against the other 95%.
yup
So many one liners, so little time . . .
“A strategic flaw with non-violent protest is that those being non-violent have to be very aware and aggressive to stop those that turn to violence and destruction, lest the news and narrative are lost.”
I know Alan probably can’t see this. But a way to deal with this is to have non-violent protest away from businesses where looting could happen.
“.. a way to deal with this is to have non-violent protest away from businesses where looting could happen.”
And an effective way (for the power structure) to insure that the protest goes unheard and unnoticed.
So, you may support looting and destruction as a protected, effective form of ‘free speech’… helping to “change” things… I don’t… almost all looters and those wantonly destroying property are NOT motivated by a cause… they are opportunists who are motivated by greed, and/or a ‘need’ to ‘act out’, and use the incident as ‘an excuse’. Ironically, they tend to discredit the righteous cause, and bring out a reactionary response… they move the football backwards… IMNSHO…
After the 1906 earthquake and fire, looting was prevalent… got so bad that officers/National Guard were permitted to “shoot on sight”… looters were referred to as ‘ghouls’ in the press…
My fear is that the ‘community response’, will heavily decrease the likelihood of conviction and proper ‘punishment’ for the officers involved in the current heinous acts.
“So, you may support looting and destruction as a protected, effective form of ‘free speech’”
Nope, but it is certainly predictable. If you keep picking at a sore, it will fester and burst. How patient would you be?
“If every day a bucket goes a well, one day the bottom go drop out”
It seems that there is never going to be a solution to eliminate all racist cops so by all means let’s keep exploiting evidence of their existence as justification for rioting, looting and voting from more politicians that claim to be the champions of people in the poor urban back communities.
It also helps give the media sensational stuff to report on.
There is an interesting report on the Minneapolis being a bit under-represented in black cops (although I think the police chief is black), but more interestingly a very high number of police officers do not live in suburbs and not in the city areas they are assigned to. Clearly the rioters and looters don’t care enough about their community, and it might be that the police also don’t care enough about their community.
I think there is something to this lack of care for a community. The crash in black urban community social capital and the destruction of the old standard private civic involvement. The Democrat side argument seems to be that cops are responsible for causing a disenfranchisement of black community care by over-policing blacks. I have never bought this argument. From my perspective when you give someone their livelihood they lose their self-worth as a productive member of society and start to burn with resentment over their lack of access to higher level needs attainment. They start to react as you would expect… with a higher probability of behavior that is below the line for what is considered reasonable and standard.
One consideration is variable policing application for these communities. Eric Gardner was illegally selling cigarettes. George Floyd was using counterfeit cash. Neither man should have been handled so violently by police to cause their death. However, it begs the question should police use the same law enforcement protocol for all neighborhoods? For example, maybe the better approach here is George Floyd given a warning and the officer paying the $20 for what he was attempting to buy.
The media narrative is that blacks get more stops than other races. Thinking about how we remedy that the campus social justice set wants to make the point that all whites are always implicitly racist which is crap on two levels… one it is false… two there is nothing actionable to come from it.
Clearly the riots and looting prove the point that lawless behavior is more accepted in these communities. Maybe we just put up a virtual perimeter where more lawless behavior is accepted. The mayor told law enforcement to stand down in enforcing the riots and looting, so this is already being practiced. Why not say “we are not going to come down hard on you for the little crimes done in your own community.”? Have more officers living in these neighborhoods to foster a sense of care for the community… while also coming down hard on the crimes that cause material harm to others in the community.
“It seems that there is never going to be a solution to eliminate all racist cops so by all means let’s keep exploiting evidence of their existence as justification for rioting, looting and voting from more politicians that claim to be the champions of people in the poor urban back communities.”
This misses a critical point. The problem isn’t the ability or inability to eliminate racism in the police – it’s the need to enforce regulations against unconstituional policing.
David, you miss the critical point.
I cannot see David’s posts but I can probably write them myself at this point.
Here’s what he said.
😉
?
I could have written that for David.
But I don’t see it as a Constitutional law issue. The challenge is that the rules of political correctness and campus speech codes that have been weaponized through the politically-owned media will not allow for an intellectually honest discussion of the true root causes of the problems. Examples include the American political establishment exporting American working class prosperity while importing other country’s poverty and driving down wages for the shrinking supply of good working-class jobs, and a crappy school system that is a front for an adult jobs program run by one side of the political establishment. Then these things leading to such dismal economic circumstances for our exist American minority population that families break apart, hopelessness builds and young fatherless young black men turn to crime, end up with a record and find their economic prospects further dashed if not their life. Police are required to spend more time in these communities where there is more criminal behavior. It leads to more cop-resident encounters that lead to those out of balance outcomes that liberals like to call “evidence of cop racism”.
We can all agree that there are racist cops because there are racist people and cops are people.
But look, we gave the keys of Minneapolis city government 100% to liberal Democrats… David’s people that claim they can lead to a better future for the minority population they claim to represent.
Well that didn’t work, did it?
I keep thinking of David’s other “solution” to the problem to win something in the courts. What would it lead to? The only thing I can think of is some short term happiness of liberal social justice validation that the cops have been pushed further down the liberal ledger of good and bad actors in society.
And then the black urban community continues to decline. Yippee!
Just give me reason why my latest comment is awaiting moderation.
It may be a valid reason but I’d like to know.
It’s now been six hours. Does “awaiting” mean something different here than it does in plain English? Does it mean “rejected”, or “it’s actually posted but we’re f*cking with you”?
Do I need to spell “p*op” with an asterisk?
[Moderator: it moderated itself automatically due to some of the words, I assume]
But can’t you release it from moderation, or tell me what words I need to change?
Don’t use swear words even with asterisks
I’ve been doing that for years and they are not flagged.
OK, I’ll try again . . .
We already have a variable policing in Davis. If you don’t live under a roof, you can stack up trash in giant piles, steal bikes, smoke meth in public, yell “F— You” over and over at the top of your lungs, threaten and throw rocks at people, vandalize and break into businesses, fight with your trashpile-mates, refuse to give your name to a police officer, p–p in daylight on public sidewalks, trespass in people’s yards — and the punishment is a get-out-of-jail-free card.
If I or the other housed residents of Davis try of that S—, we’d be in jail.
Variable policing – Davis Style ——————————-> WHY?