George Floyd’s Death Will Forever Be the Unfolding of Police Officers’ Racists' Acts and Qualified Immunity
How Chauvin and his fellow officers, all face charges of violating Mr. Floyd’s Constitutional rights, along with his death.
Police officer, politicians, leaders and everyday persons, if you do the crime you need to do the time. The time is long overdue because so many of our civil servants have been getting away with murder, literally.
To date, Minneapolis police officers, Tou Thao, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, all were present during the arrest and subsequent murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 and are all are guilty of violating George Floyd’s constitutional rights. As Chauvin squeezed the breath out of Mr. Floyd, these other officers did not intervene or provided medical assistance to Mr. Floyd. They stood idle by as Chauvin squeezed the last breath from a Black man who had not done anything wrong, other than being Black and in the right place at the wrong time when Chauvin arrived on the scene.
While Chauvin was found guilty on charges of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death while currently residing in a Minnesota’s maximum-security prison awaiting sentencing, now requesting a new trail, proclaiming his trial was tarnish by protestors and fear. After that guilty trial, more charges are now heaped on Chauvin along with violating Mr. Floyd’s constitutional rights, to be free from unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by a police officer, he is now being charged in a second indictment, stemming from the arrest and neck restraint of a 14-year-old boy in 2017. Chauvin violated this kid’s constitutional rights also, he handcuffed this 14-year-old, grabbed him by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight, placed his knee on the boy’s neck and upper back, all while the kid was not resisting. This brutality ended with the kid bleeding from his ear and required two stitches. Chauvin justified his action by saying the kid was tall and big. What part of unresisting and handcuffed, did Chauvin not comprehend? What happened to all his years of training? What happened to common decency for a human being? Mr. Floyd’s brother testified that Chauvin and his brother knew each other, they worked at the same club. Makes you wonder about his true motive?
Chauvin has a record on the police force indicative of his behavior toward George Floyd, the only difference he has been able to get away with so many atrocities that it became his norm. Even looking at the video as he knelt down on George Floyd’s neck, he had such a smug and arrogant look on his face that bespoke volume as he held his left hand in his pocket, confidently. It appeared like he thought he was superior in some way. He and officers like him need to be removed from the police force altogether, and not be hired in any other state or capacity of law enforcement for they are a menacing danger to society.
While Mr. Floyd muttered he could not breathe, Chauvin kneeled on his neck, Tou Thao restrained him, Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down his legs, all the while bystanders stood helpless by and blocked by Thao, all this during the 9 ½-minute restraint. What were they thinking? Four trained men on top of of one man! Did they really fear for their life? Did they feel threatened?
These four officers being charged was the result of Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison, who is leading the prosecution state charges, justifying that the government is responsible for protecting Americans’ civil rights. Simply, this means that law enforcement cannot willfully deprived a person of their constitutional rights, and the right to not be seized without cause with unreasonable force, i.e. George Floyd.
If these four are found guilty on a civil rights charge, they could get up to life in prison or even the death penalty. However, it is stated the likely hood of these officers receiving such stiff penalties are unlikely because of the burden of proof, but may get a lesser conviction.
In conclusion, people of color are facing a barrage of such horrific acts, murder and the violation of many constitutional rights, as all demand that the police union, police department and officers needs to be held more accountable around the country by each state’s attorney general and may lawsuits hit the police force, the officer involved and any other entity found to be an accomplice.
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