You'll remember in New York City about six years ago, a man got the death penalty for selling loose cigarettes. His name was Eric Garner, and he was put in a choke hold by a police officer. He died on camera.
Fast forward to this year, and in the last month the news has been filled with that handsome photo of a Georgia man named Ahmaud Arbery. The photo made the papers and network news cycles because it accompanied his obit. Police say Mr. Arbery, a black man, was shot down while jogging by two white men who decided to play cops.
And now, Minnesota. The video shows a white police officer kneeling on the neck of a black man named George Floyd. The man begged to be let up, saying he couldn't breathe. A few minutes later, paramedics moved his limp body to a stretcher. They took his pulse several times on the way to the hospital. But George Floyd was dead.
Somebody had called 911 because they suspected him of having a counterfeit bill.
Before the era of smartphones and police body cameras, this stuff went on every day. But these days, everybody with eyes to see can watch the horror unfold.
Is it any wonder that folks are taking to the streets? And not just in Minnesota and Georgia. The protests have gone nationwide. Which is what a nation of free people do when they see injustice.
What was George Floyd doing that deserved being kneeled on, as he lay face-first in the street? The officer put his knee into the back of the neck. And kept it there while Mr. Floyd begged. Folks, if you've seen the video, you know this officer's lawyers are going to have a helluva time at trial.
It didn't appear to us that George Floyd was even resisting arrest. He was cuffed. The owner of the shop who called 911 said he didn't see any resistance.
This wasn't just excessive force. This was unrestrained force. This was uncontrolled force. This was outrageous force.
Our sister paper in Chattanooga, Tenn., may have had the best reaction from a police officer in terms of what happened in Minnesota. It comes from David Roddy, chief of police in Chattanooga. As the Times Free Press reports, the chief said: "There is no need to see more video. There is no need to see how it plays out. There is no need to put a knee on someone's neck for nine minutes. There is a need to do something. If you wear a badge and you don't have an issue with this ... turn it in."
Turn it in. As outrage meets outrage in the streets on Minneapolis today, that's the best advice from one cop to another. If this doesn't bother you, turn in your badge.
This is outrageous. And while the firing of several officers is a start, prosecutions should be the next step. Let these officers face a jury of their peers.
This is outrageous. And to think, 10 years ago, before smartphones and body cameras became so abundant, no one would have been the wiser.
This is outrageous. And as these videos make the rounds on cable news, the excuses become weaker.
This is outrageous. And we all should be outraged.
Editorial on 05/30/2020