RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN POLICE BRUTALITY AND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
Zoë Wallace
Head of Political and Global Impacts
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Secretary and Outreach Officer
[TW: VIOLENCE]
On May 25th, 2020, an African-American man named George Floyd was killed in police custody. Since then, peaceful protests against police brutality have rocked the nation to its core, and unrelated (but opportunistic) rioting and looting has ravaged cities. This article will focus on the reason behind the protesting: the death of George Floyd. Warning: if you are in any way sensitive to violence, please do not continue reading. This article addresses this graphic topic in order to shed light on the evils of police brutality and to ensure this story is spread to as many people as possible. The goal is to try to make a difference by altering “the system” and preventing future similar events.
Security cameras show George Floyd’s car parked on the side of the road. Two employees from a deli walked up to the car to demand compensation for the cigarettes that Floyd had paid for with an allegedly counterfeit $20 bill. When Floyd did not pay, the employees returned to the deli and dialed 911. The 911 call included the fact that Floyd was “awfully drunk” and “not in control of himself.” The first officers to arrive were Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. Kueng pulled out his gun and told Floyd to put his hands on the wheel of his car as Lane evacuated the other passengers from Floyd’s car. Soon after, Kueng holstered his gun and pulled Floyd from the car, cuffing and walking him towards a restaurant wall to question him.
Soon after, they moved Floyd towards the police car. Floyd fell to the ground, apparently because he was claustrophobic and did not want to be put in the back of the car. Nine minutes after the arrival of the first officers, Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao arrived at the scene. It should be noted that both of these officers had multiple complaints filed against them in previous years. After Chauvin struggled to force Floyd into the back of the police car, he pinned Floyd to the street. Floyd was face down and his hands were cuffed behind his back.
A bystander began to film the situation, but was quickly told by the police to move away, ending the recording. This first clip showed that the four officers were gathered around Floyd, with three applying pressure to his neck, legs, and torso. The video also recorded Floyd’s pleas tot remove this pressure, repeating “I can’t breathe.” The actions of these officers were in clear violation of multiple police policies for handling suspects. Most police departments do not allow officers to put pressure on a suspect’s neck, and Minneapolis policy explicitly states that this type of restraint can only be used when the suspect is “actively resisting,” which was not the case for Floyd.
At this point, a “Code 2” was radioed, which is a request for a non-emergency medical vehicle, due to “bleeding from the mouth.” Still, Floyd remained pinned to the ground. Next, a “Code 3” was radioed in, signifying that Floyd’s condition was beginning to worsen. Another bystander began to film the situation, showing that Chauvin did not release pressure on Floyd’s neck for another seven minutes. Chauvin told Floyd to get into the car, but even after Floyd agreed to do so, Chauvin would not let him off the ground. At this point, Floyd began to repeatedly call out “Mama.” He would soon be dead.
Bystanders began to berate the police officers, telling them to release pressure from his neck (at one point, Chauvin pulled out mace spray to keep the bystanders back). Floyd became unconscious at this point. Lane asked Chauvin twice whether they should roll Floyd onto his side, but Chauvin insisted that he was correct in keeping Floyd on his stomach.
When an ambulance finally arrived, Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for at least another minute, until paramedics told him to move. The total amount of time in which Chauvin apparently kept his knee on Floyd’s throat was 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Once Floyd was put on a stretcher and placed in the ambulance, it immediately left the scene. This was attributed to the large crowd beginning to form around the place of arrest. Realizing the severe nature of Floyd’s injuries, the EMTs requested more help from the fire department in order to treat Floyd, but when the fire department ambulance arrived at the initial scene, the ambulance was gone and the police officers gave unclear information as to its whereabouts.
Floyd went into cardiac arrest in the EMT vehicle, which radioed once again for the assistance of the fire department ambulance with an updated location. Five minutes later, the fire department arrived at Floyd’s ambulance, but they were too late to save his life. At 9:25, less than 30 minutes after he was arrested, George Floyd was pronounced dead.
This latest occurrence of police brutality has enraged the Black Lives Matter community. Shortly after the murder, protests were brewing within the Minneapolis community. The next day, all four officers were fired from the police department. Derek Chauvin has since been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in Floyd’s death. While these charges may not seem extreme enough, they go “no further than a conservative view of the evidence could take them” (LA Times) to make sure that the factual evidence exactly fits the charge and reaches no higher. The higher the prosecutors reach, the higher the burden of proof, making it easier for the defense to successfully argue against the charges. According to experts, this is the most reliable way to put Floyd’s killer in prison. Update: The charges have now been increased to second-degree murder and the “three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder” (NBC).
For the Black Lives Matter movement, the prospect of Chauvin facing justice is not enough. Many members of this movement argue that the entire police force is systemically and inherently racist, but it can be fixed if the establishment is willing to support far-reaching change.
Since May 25th, protests have been held in major cities throughout the nation (and even throughout the world). This is not the first time an African-American person has faced systematic police brutality, but this movement strives to make sure it will be the last.
I hope that this article has provided you with a better understanding of the events surrounding the death of George Floyd. If you would like to learn more about this topic, please check out the sources down below.
Sources:
Lampen, Claire. “How to Support the Struggle Against Police Brutality.” The Cut, The Cut, 2 June 2020, www.thecut.com/article/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-where-to-donate.html.
Hill, Evan, et al. “8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 June 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html.
“Column: Does Third-Degree Murder Sound Too Mild for Derek Chauvin? It's Exactly Right.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2020, www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-06-02/george-floyd-derek-chauvin-murder-charge.
“Minnesota Attorney General Announces Increased Charges Against Officer in George Floyd Death, Charges Three Others.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 3 June 2020, www.nbcnews.com/video/minnesota-attorney-general-announces-increased-charges-against-officer-in-george-floyd-death-charges-three-others-84318789885.
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