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COMMENTARY

THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS: WE MUST DEMAND JUSTICE

by Anh Lê 

The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota by police on May 25 was an intentional act of murder of an African American man.

The people of Minneapolis, and the state of Minnesota, and Americans across this nation and people around the world have now witnessed the murder of George Floyd right before our eyes.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has demanded that the person who killed George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, must be charged for the killing.  The other three police officers who stood there while the killing occurred and did nothing to stop it, must also be held accountable.

Videos of the killing of George Floyd show Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for over 8 minutes, while Floyd was face down, already handcuffed, saying he could not breathe, writhing in pain, and pleading to Chauvin to get off his neck.

Bystanders called out to Chauvin to stop kneeling on Floyd's neck.

The Hennepin County district attorney, Mike Freeman, asserted falsely that "there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge."

The people of Minneapolis, and the state of Minnesota, must make sure that there is no cover-up.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo must release all body camera film footages from the police officers, uncensored and immediately.  Yet we don't even know whether they turned on their cameras.

News reports show that Derek Chauvin has had numerous complaints of excess use of force.

News reports also show that Chauvin has been involved in shootings of community members in Minneapolis, one of which which was fatal.  Chauvin was never charged.

Although there have been many other African Americans shot and killed by police in Minneapolis in the past, Freeman, the district attorney, has never charged any of the police officers.

A news report today reveals that the owner of a nightclub near where George Floyd was killed, says that Floyd used to work as a security guard at her club during the same time periods when Derek Chauvin worked there moonlighting, as recently as December 2019.

Early morning today, Friday May 29, as CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his producer and cameraman were preparing to report on the protest situation in Minneapolis, they were suddenly arrested by the state police in riot gear, without being told the reason for their arrests, when Jimenez asked the arresting officers for the reason.

Police arrest CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and crew on live television

Jimenez' colleague, Josh Campbell, was reporting freely a block away when Jimenez was arrested.

Jimenez is African American and Hispanic.  Campbell is Caucasian.

The deep cancer of racism is already there.  Add to that, now we have a police state.

It is deeply painful to witness the killing of George Floyd, another African American killed by police, and to be reminded once again that a significant part of our nation and society still regards African Americans as non-human.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota calls on people to contact Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota; Keith Ellison, the Attorney General of Minnesota; Mike Freeman, the Hennepin County District Attorney, to demand that the investigation of the killing of George Floyd, be immediately transferred to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office and be handled by an independent special prosecutor from that office, as a fair and independent investigation could not be carried out in the county district attorney's office since it works with police and also because it has never brought any charges against any police officer in the past.

In addition, to demand justice for George Floyd, you can also call Mayor Jacob Frey at (612) 673-2100; and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo at (612) 673-2735, Fax (612) 673-2613.

UPDATE:

It was announced that Derek Chauvin has been arrested on charges of third degree murder and manslaughter.

County District Attorney Mike Freeman is scheduled to speak at a press conference early this afternoon (E.S.T.).

The above charges appear inconsequential for the act of killing a human being.

A human being who is our fellow American.

A human being who is another African American shot and killed because of the color of his or her skin.

The charges of third degree murder and manslaughter may be the result of a deal struck between the county district attorney and Derek Chauvin's attorney and the Minneapolis police union administration.

But we are reminded, once again, that tragically, a significant part of our nation, including those who are supposed to uphold the rule of law and protect the citizens of this country, still regard African Americans and the African American community as non-human, less than human, and invisible.

That should not be so.

But this is the reality in 2020.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during his short life before he was assassinated, wrote and preached about the deeply rooted cancer of racism that plagues our nation and society.

Anh Lê is an independent journalist.

Copyright Anh Lê, May 29, 2020