It is all about the senseless and meaningless death of George Floyd. He was a lone and helpless black man apparently killed by white cops in a peaceful arrest in a supposed non-violent crime.
Most shockingly, it happened at a time when the world is supposed to be moving towards the general direction of tolerance, understanding, and equality. What happened is dreadful beyond imagination.
George Floyd is black and he died due to methods that are perceived to have been deliberately inflicted by white police officers. Arrested for an alleged non-violent crime, he suffered a gruesome death.
While Floyd’s and the cops' skin colors may have not have been a factor in the way they treated one another, the line being used by protested strongly surmise otherwise. He was lying on his belly, hands cuffed behind him, pinned by three white officers with one using his body weight and knee to pin his neck to the pavement. He was begging that the knee be released, that he cannot breathe, but the cops seemed unable to comprehend or care how choking works and commanded Floyd to “relax.” People around them were upset and yelling for the cop to stop but he did nothing. A fourth cop was seen standing, facing the crowd. The scene continued long after Floyd became silent and immobile. He probably breathed his last as the cop blocked his airways. What a way to die. It's like drowning, they say.
Why did the cops do it? Was it because they didn’t know a better way to handle the situation? Did they think that Floyd could still hurt them? Or was it because he was black? Did they know that their methods were lethal? A knee and bodyweight can easily crush a windpipe, block a carotid artery, and kill a man.
WHAT HAPPENED:
A released transcript of a 911 call showed the caller reporting that somebody bought cigarettes from them using "fake bills". The caller and companion/s recognized the counterfeit money, run out to the suspects, and demanded that they return the items that they bought. The suspects (man and woman) who were seated in their SUV, were “awfully drunk and he's not in control of himself. They also refused to give back the merchandise. That’s when the caller dialed 911. The 911 dispatcher sent cops to the location and there was nothing in that call that hinted of violence. In fact, the call ended with calm simple words.
"Operator: Alright (sigh).
Caller: How is your day going?
Operator: Not too bad.
Caller: Had a long day, huh?
Operator: What's your name?
Caller: My name is [redacted].
Operator: Alright [redacted], a phone number for you?
Caller: [redacted].
Operator: Alright, I've got help on the way. If that vehicle or that person leaves before we get there, just give us a call back, otherwise, we'll have squads out there shortly, okay?
Caller: No problem.
Operator: Thank you."
As for the cops, they reported having responded to a non-violent crime of forgery at a convenience store. They arrested suspects and they said that Floyd was violent.
Available CCTV, cellphone, and police body cam footages, however, does not support that claim. Videos that when pieced together shows almost every second of what happened from different angles, showed that the cuffed Floyd never resisted. He dropped to the ground a couple of times and helped to his feet by a lone police officer. He was a much bigger man but it only took one cop to manage him. At one point, he turned around, looked at his wrists, and grimaced and yelped in discomfort. Floyd also shook his head at the officers. They escorted him across the street where he fell to the ground for the last time. Witnesses say that was when one of the cops rested his body weight on his knee and pinned it on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes. Floyd pleaded, the crowd demanded, but the cops didn’t listen.
An off duty firefighter who witnessed the incident said, "witnessed the end of the struggle and witnessed the [patient] go from struggling to unresponsive on the ground while handcuffed and subdued"
Moments later, the cop roughly pulled and turned the unresponsive body in a way that can never be described as gentle or humane. His method, to me, is reminiscent of everyday scenes in a slaughterhouse. He was turning a carcass.
Why things turned violent is not yet clear. What people know is what they saw on TV. As Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said,
"We watched for five whole excruciating minutes as a white officer firmly pressed his knee into the neck of an unarmed handcuffed black man," "I saw no threat. I saw nothing that would signal this kind of force was necessary."
The footage was 8 minutes. A police officer rested his body weight on his knee and used it to pin down the back of a man’s neck.
The four cops, which we will not identify, at this time, were fired but calls for murder charges are continuing to flood the internet and the real world.
In the meantime, thousands of people ignored the threat of Covid19, went out, and protested. On the 2nd day, some burned a what appeared to be civilian and police cars, and a police precinct. By the 4th day, protesters have blocked a highway and looters attacked stores in Los Angeles, there were riots in Atlanta, New York, etc. More protests are expected and by all indications, this will be a national issue.
WHO IS GEORGE FLOYD?
George Floyd was born in North Carolina but grew up in in Houston. With a height of 6 feet and 6 inches, he was a star athlete who excelled in Basketball and Football. He was also known for being a gentle person. According to his girlfriend, he did not finish school and joined a hip-hop group called the Screwed Up Click.
His life’s narrative took a different turn in 2007 when he was charged armed robbery and home invasion. As a result of a plea deal, served 5 years (2009~2014) in jail. After serving his sentence, he struggled to find work in Houston, so he moved to Minneapolis “to turn his life around”. He was fortunate to have found two jobs, driving trucks and another as a security guard/ bouncer at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro. George was a popular employee of the restaurant where he was also known for being a “gentle giant”. During the Covid19 pandemic, he lost his job as a bouncer at a restaurant when Minnesota’s governor issued a stay-at-home order.
Floyd leaves behind a six-year-old daughter who still lives in Houston with her mother, Roxie Washington
At this point, two separate Gofundme drives have already raised $4.6 Million and $131,000.
--------
What have we turned ourselves into?
Sources (Please click for links to the actual stories):
Comments