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There have been many pivotal points in American history. The murder and manslaughter convictions last week for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin feel like another tipping point. And this opportunity for meaningful police reforms and repairing the fabric of America mustn’t be squandered by political divisions.
Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, while Floyd was in police custody, plain and simple. Thanks to a teenager’s grit to record that abuse of power, the whole world saw it and heard Floyd’s last words pleading for help.
Floyd’s killing was an American tragedy, a stain on American jurisprudence and a wake-up call about the need for police reforms. For decades we’ve heard about police using excessive force against people of color and profiling African American men and teens in particular. The Chauvin trial proved the validity of many of those complaints ne
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Justice and relief.
That was the message from metro Detroit and Michigan after the jury s guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer who was charged with murder in the death of George Floyd, a Black man.
A flood of reactions, from pastors, police and politicians, expressed sadness, condolences and hope. They offered their views on why America watched the trial so closely and what needs to happen to prevent other tragedies like it. Justice won, said the Rev. Charles Williams II, the pastor of Historic King Solomon Baptist Church of Detroit and the head of the Michigan chapter of the National Action Network, led by Rev. Al Sharpton. We are relieved that Derek Chauvin will have to pay for his crime against a human.
Lester Graham / Michigan Radio
Members of the Michigan-based protest movements that formed in the wake of George Floyd’s killing say Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction is a vindication of their cause.
Leaders from the protest movement called Detroit Will Breathe gathered with supporters in the snow in front of Detroit Police Headquarters just after the Chauvin verdict on Tuesday evening. They said the verdict shows the power of their movement, but it’s hardly the end point.
“Today is certainly a victory for the movement and defense of Black and brown lives. Unfortunately, it falls short of freedom,” said Nakia Wallace, a co-founder of Detroit Will Breathe.
Detroit police crackdown on illegal concealed guns, 103 arrests last week
Updated Apr 20, 2021;
DETROIT – The Detroit Police Department is averaging 60-100 concealed weapons arrests a week – and that’s a message to the community, the chief said Monday.
Officers are focused on arresting individuals who are illegally carrying concealed firearms, Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters during a news conference Monday morning that touched on two shooting incidents over the weekend. Craig also blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and court leniency for increased gun violence in the city.
Last week, DPD arrested 103 people for illegal carry, and seized their weapons, he said.