By Lovepreet Dhinsa
NEW YORK CITY, NY – As the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial was announced earlier this week, many remember George Floyd and his wrongful murder at the hands of Office Chauvin…because of the videos.
Videos have also become key evidence of what really happened in the many Black Lives Matter police brutality protests over last summer, almost a year ago from now.
In one of the many protest sites, the New York Police Department alleged that they showed restraint in the treatment of peaceful demonstrations—however, the numerous videos show otherwise.
The videos show the NYPD engaging in punching, tackling, beating, and shoving numerous individuals who spoke out against police violence and the blatant racism against Black people.
Every protest that happened in New York City showed video footage of the New York Police Department repeatedly using force against protesters. Despite this, NYPD still alleges that force was 
not excessive during these protests.
In the first 10 days of protests, the New York Times found more than 60 videos of police violence and force against protestors, within days of the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Several videos show the gravity of force, in most cases being unwarranted and unprovoked, against countless protestors.
While some people might claim the 10- or 30-second videos cannot begin to show the entire interaction, it remains unclear what the intentions of officers were in inciting more violence, and arresting and moving protestors.
What is especially concerning is the fact that many officers appeared not to acknowledge that there would be any consequences, which is exactly what we have been seeing in the countless videos over the year now.
According to the police department’s patrol guide, police officers may only use force if it is necessary in gaining custody of an individual participating in an unlawful way.
Many officers appeared not to be concerned with the consequences of their actions, and this is an issue that requires attention. It is very rare for an officer to be prosecuted for an action they committed, and that is an issue that we must correct.
Within 10 hours of deliberation, the jury in the Chauvin murder trial found him guilty—some say because he showed no remorse after killing George Floyd, and none during his nearly 10 minutes of killing him on the street.
The NYPD videos reportedly show that same type of willingness of officers to use unnecessary and excessive force, even as they are being recorded.
The guilty verdict for ex-cop Chauvin is a step toward accountability for those kinds of actions caught on camera, claim BLM organizers. A step, they charge, but not justice.
Lovepreet Dhinsa is a junior undergraduate student at the University of San Francisco, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Politics with a minor in Legal Studies. She has a passion for criminal defense law, and strives to go to law school to fight for indigent clients. As such, she is also involved in her university’s mock trial program and student government.
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