By Howie Katz
Big Jolly Times
May 28, 2020
Let me be crystal clear that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin should not have kept his knee on George Floyd's neck when the latter begged him to stop because he could not breathe. Actually, Chauvin should never have knelled on Floyd's neck in the first place.
Furthermore, videos of the arrest show that before the kneeling incident, Floyd was removed from his car and walked away with his hands cuffed behind his back. I do not know what happened between that time and the kneeling, but Floyd's arrest sure looks awful lousy.
Floyd was arrested Monday night for trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery store.
There were protests and rioting in Minneapolis Tuesday and Wednesday evening. While most protesters were peaceful, mobs clashed with the police both nights. On Wednesday, mobs set fires to an apartment building under construction and set a number of other fires, including in an Auto Zone store which they also looted along with a Target store. Outside the Target, a wheelchair-bound white woman was beaten and sprayed with a fire extinguisher when she tried to stop the looting.
A mob protesting Floyd's death in Los Angeles closed down a freeway and surrounded two California Highway Patrol cars, smashing in the rear windows of both cars.
A peaceful protest was held Tuesday in Houston's Emancipation Park. Floyd had lived in Houston until he moved to Minneapolis six years ago. Friends described Floyd as a good lovable person.
That good lovable person has a long criminal history in Houston dating back to 1998 when he was busted for aggravated robbery with a firearm. In 2007 Floyd committed another robbery with a firearm for which he was sent to prison. When he was released from prison in 2014, Floyd moved to Minneapolis.
Houston's top cop could not restrain himself from getting his two cents worth in. On Wednesday Morning, Chief Acevedo tweeted: "The death of #GeorgFloyd should be condemned by all in law enforcement and our extended community. His death serves as a stark reminder that when bad policing happens, it disproportionately impacts communities of color and poor communities." Acevedo attached a screengrab of one of his earlier tweets in which he supported Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality.
But worst of all was what the white mayor of Minneapolis said about Floyd's death. During a Thursday interview on CBS This Morning, Mayor Jacob Frey said: "He'd be alive today if he were white." What an outrageous remark! That's pure race baiting of the worst kind, something you would expect of Al Sharpton, but not from the mayor of a big city.
As for Chief Acevedo, he already made a complete fool out of himself with his comments on the botched Harding Street raid. He should have been sacked then. But now, Acevedo should be tarred and feathered, and run out of Houston on a rail for apparently siding with Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who is best known for disrespecting our flag and country.
UPDATE: The Colin Kaepernick that Acevedo supports has just said it's time for a revolution because of Floyd's death. On Thursday, Kaepernick tweeted: "When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your [police] violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back!"
4 comments:
If officer Dereck Chauvin is acquitted or given a lenient sentence then it will be Rodney King riots all over again. Maybe worse. Mayor Frey, Colin Kaepernick and others are stoking the fire.
So, I’ve read all the social media comments. I have 42 years of law enforcement experience. Starting out on patrol and retiring as a lieutenant overseeing 22 counties. Here is my two cents.
If the photographs and video of the Minneapolis police incident are what they appear to be then four officers need to be prosecuted. I’m not a D.A. but it stands to reason that if one officer commits a crime in front of three officers and they do nothing to stop it, then they all need to be prosecuted.
Each officer is sworn to protect the citizens. That includes protecting them from other police officers.
I am disappointed in the media and people of power making incendiary statements. Just do your job and shut up.
These are tough jobs. Nobody in law enforcement or the military ever said the job was going to be easy. Each day brings new challenges and being able to handle arrests without incident is mandatory.
Race is being touted as the primary reason that George Floyd is dead. I don’t believe that. I saw a photograph of officer Derek Chauvin with his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Look closely.
It wasn’t about race. It was about control. Let’s use a rapist as an example. Studies reveal that most rape cases are not about sex, they are about control. Look again at the Photograph. Officer Derek Chauvin is holding a man down with one knee on his neck, yet he has one hand in his own pocket. Not only does this demonstrate control but it also shows domination. He is showing people that he can control this person without even using his hands. “Look at me. I’m in control and there is nothing he can do about it.”
I also want to point out that there was no reason to hold a handcuffed man down on the street for any extended length of time unless someone wants everyone to see. Cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em in the vehicle. Leave the scene quickly and turn them over to the jail.
Be Fair. Be Safe. Be Accountable.
Trey Rusk
Very good points. I agree 100 percent. It was about control and domination.
The mayor is an ambulatory dog turd with no brains and no balls.
Post a Comment