[[GRETA]]
ON PLUGGED IN …
A RARE MURDER CONVICTION …
FOR AN AMERICAN POLICEMAN.
[[SOT Judge 00:16 ‘We the jury in the above entitled matter as to count one, unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony, find the defendant guilty.”]]
THE GUILTY VERDICT …
FOR THE KILLING …
OF GEORGE FLOYD …
PUTS A SPOTLIGHT …
ON POLICE TRAINING …
AND TACTICS.
[[JAMES CRAIG SOT "The policing profession is in a crisis, clearly in a crisis. In my forty-four years, I've seen no other time like this."]]
AND THE CONCERNS …
OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES …
WHETHER THE CRIMINAL …
JUSTICE SYSTEM ...
WORKS FOR THEM, TOO.
[[STEPHANIE RAWLINGS SOT: “Right now there's not a lot of trust between the community and the police. We have to figure out how to bridge that gap” ]]
TACTICS ...
TRAINING …
POLICY …
PROCEDURE …
ON PLUGGED IN …
POLICING …
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT …
IN AMERICA.
####
[[GRETA O/C]]
HELLO AND WELCOME …
TO PLUGGED IN.
I’M GRETA VAN SUSTEREN …
REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON, DC.
GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES.
THAT WAS THE VERDICT
FORMER MINNEAPOLIS …
POLICE OFFICER DEREK CHAUVIN ...
CONVICTED…
FOR THE MAY 2020 KILLING …
OF GEORGE FLOYD …
SUSPECTED OF PASSING …
COUNTERFEIT MONEY.
45 WITNESES TESTIFIED …
DURING THE THREE-WEEK TRIAL.
BUT THE KEY PIECE …
OF EVIDENCE …
WAS THE VIDEO …
TAKEN BY A BYSTANDER ...
THE VIDEO SHOWING OFFICER CHAUVIN …
KNEELING ON FLOYD’S NECK …
FOR MORE THAN NINE MINUTES …
IGNORING HIS PLEAS …
THAT HE COULD NOT BREATHE.
VOA’S ESHA SARAI (pronounced EE-shuh suh-RYE)
BEGINS OUR COVERAGE …
FROM MINNEAPOLIS:
[[STOP]]
[[PKG: SARAI WITH STANDUP]]
((Narrator))((Crowds outside the county courthouse))((Nats))
The Hennepin County Courthouse — the site of protests for weeks as a jury heard arguments in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin — became a gathering place for celebration and healing after Tuesday’s verdict.
((Lalla, Minneapolis Resident))
“I love to see my Black people out here. I'd love to see everyone out here with us standing with us. I just, I just don't know what else to say... Black lives, they matter here!”
((Asia, Minneapolis Resident))
“We all wanted all three charges. And that's what everybody got. And everyone out here, as you can see, we all felt the same way, no matter what walks of life, no matter what you look like, guilty is what we wanted and that's all we got.”
((VIDEO: Biden, Harris walking to the podium))
At the White House, President Joe Biden, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, called the guilty verdict “a step forward,” and urged the passage of police reform legislation as part of a “march towards justice in America.”
((President Joe Biden))
“"We have to listen: "I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Those were George Floyd's last words. We can't let those words die with him.”
((Esha Sarai, VOA))
Demonstrators took to the streets in celebration of the verdict of the Chauvin trial here in Minneapolis, but many say that work remains to be done — including in the case of Daunte Wright who was shot and killed by police here last week.
((NAT: “DAUNTE WRIGHT IS NEXT))
((Mo, Twin Cities Relief Initiative))
“To be perfectly honest, it's only one. The fight isn't over yet. Like, mind you, we're partying and we're having a great time. But we still have Kim Potter we have to deal with next. So, the show must still go on. And we must still fight.”
((Kudee Garley, Minneapolis Resident))
“I don’t really care who's found guilty, who's not guilty. Let's just stop the killing, the bloodshed, you know, let's treat people like equal citizens.”
((Narrator))((protest video))
But for now, many are hopeful that Tuesday’s verdict — what rights groups say is the first time the state of Minnesota has convicted a white police officer in the death of a Black man — is a turning point for racial justice in the United States.
((Esha Sarai, VOA News, Minneapolis))
[[GRETA]]
IN AUGUST …
A TRIAL WILL BE HELD …
FOR THREE OTHER …
FIRED POLICE OFFICERS …
WHO WERE AT THE SCENE…
WITH CHAUVIN.
THEY ARE ACCUSED OF AIDING …
AND ABETTING …
CHAUVIN’S ACTIONS.
PLUGGED IN’S STEVE REDISCH …
LOOKS AT THE KEY DATES …
IN THE TIMELINE.
[[STOP]]
[[PKG/REDISCH TIMELINE]]
((VO TIMELINE May 25, 2020))
May 25th, 2020 approximately 8:00 pm, Minneapolis police respond to a call about the possible use of a counterfeit $20 bill. 46-year-old George Floyd is arrested and taken into custody.
Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop.
((Video: Of Bystanders-Video of George Floyd saying “I can’t breathe))
A video taken by 17-year-old Darnella Frazier shows Floyd crying and saying, “I can’t breathe.”. He is pronounced dead at a hospital.
((https://web.archive.org/web/20200526183652/https://www.insidempd.com/2020/05/26/man-dies-after-medical-incident-during-police-interaction/))
That night, a statement by Minneapolis police said officers got Floyd “into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress.”
((scroll up to show the added FBI sentence))
Once the video was posted and went viral, police updated its statement, saying the FBI will help investigate.
((Video of the mugshot of the three arrested former police officers)
Chauvin and three other officers are fired.
((NAT POP-Protests / violent protests // Video Crowd Chanting “Say his name-George Floyd))
Protests that began in Minneapolis spread elsewhere. Some turned violent. Most were peaceful.
((VO TIMELINE May 29, 2020))
On May 29th, fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
((VO-TIMELINE June 3, 2020))
After Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison takes over the case, a tougher second-degree murder charge was added.
((REVEAL VO-TIMELINE June 5, 2020))
11 days after Floyd’s death, Minneapolis bans chokeholds by police.
((VO TIMELINE March 12, 2021))
Nearly 10 moths after George Floyd died, Minneapolis agrees to a $27-million settlement to his family, March 12, 2021.
((REVEAL VO TIMELINE March 29, 2021))
Two weeks later, March 29th, opening statements were delivered in the of Derek Chauvin.
((VO TIMELINE APRIL 19, 2021))
Three weeks after it began, closing arguments were delivered on April 19 and the case went to the jury.
((VO REVEAL TIMELINE APRIL 20, 2021))
After just 10 hours of deliberation, the jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts.
((Video of Derek Chauvin handcuffed and walked out of the courtroom))
The former police officer faces a maximum of 40 years in prison for the most serious count. Sentencing will be announced in June.
[GRETA OC]
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ...
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ...
REACTED TO THE CONVICTION ...
CHAUVIN’S LAWYER ARGUED ...
TO A JURY HE WAS DOING …
WHAT HE WAS TRAINED …
TO DO.
JAMES CRAIG HAS BEEN ...
A POLICE OFFICER FOR ...
MORE THAN 40 YEARS.
HE IS NOW THE POLICE CHIEF...
FOR THE MIDWESTERN ...
CITY OF DETROIT.
WE TALKED ABOUT ...
WHERE POLICING IN AMERICA ...
IS HEADED FROM HERE.
[[STOP]]
[[CRAIG INTERVIEW SOT]]
GVS- GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
JC – JAMES CRAIG
JC: I predicted weeks ago that whether the officers were acquitted or found guilty, there would still be pockets of unrest around the country and we're seeing that now. Look the bottom line, Greta, today: the policing profession is in a crisis, clearly in a crisis. In my forty four years, I've seen no other time like this. There are those who are calling for the total dismantling of policing, with no idea of what goes in its place. There's also the continuation of defunding the police, without giving consideration to those who live in vulnerable communities. What do they want? I can tell you - in our city, Detroiters, they want effective constitutional policing. They don't want to defund, they want to fund.
GVS: How did we get here? Is it sort of that we've always been here but now we have body cams to see what happened, we're actually not hearing about it after the fact, but we get to be part of it whether it's a good arrest or a bad arrest and people have phones. Is that what's gotten us to this point or what is it?
JC: You know, a lot of things. You know, certainly one officer involved shooting that's determined to be excessive force, determined to be criminal-- in the case of Mr. Floyds death, I was one of the first police chiefs in America that came out publicly and said his agency, based on probable cause, should have arrested him. I was very firm on that. And so I think one incident like that is one too many. And then when you have other incidents that may be questionable. or you have an agency that may suppress evidence and are not real transparent, all those things together certainly create tremendous tension. Fortunately here in Detroit as I oftentimes say during 2020, when we saw a lot of the protests in Detroit, Detroit didn't burn. There was no looting. And there's a reason for that. You know, building trust in neighborhoods and communities should not start at the time something bad happens. It must be institutionalized in the fabric of that organization from the beginning, and when you do that and when bad things happen and you operate from a place of trust, integrity and transparency, people are more apt to give you an opportunity to address whatever the issue is.
GVS: What is the rule or where is the line is when our officers are taught that they are allowed to use deadly force?
JC: When there's an imminent threat to life. And certainly in the Columbus scenario, that officer saw a teenager, 16-year old, armed with a knife attacking another teenage young lady. And he believed at the time that she was going to get stabbed. And so he made a decision, a split-second decision to use deadly force, in defense of life.
So these are instances where officers don't have a lot of time. You have to make split second decisions. Hopefully it's the right decision. But the bottom line is in the defense of life, faced with an imminent threat.
GVS: What don't the American people and the politicians and the media get about being a police officer?
JC: I think they get it. I just think that they there's a minority voice in our community that has another agenda. And they want to undermine government as we know it. And part of that undermining government as we know it is dismantling police. There are people that are focused laser-like focused on dismantling police as we know it, I’m not talking about reform. And again part of the other part of the conversation is painting the profession with a broad brush. You can't paint a profession that way. Are there agencies out there that are in need of reform, that there may be a pattern and practice of conduct that's not suitable for effective constitutional policing? Yes, but you just don't decimate the entire profession to do that. And again as I said earlier, you know, one bad shooting is one too many.
But let’s also have a conversation about how many stops officers make over the course of a day throughout our country and the majority, the vast majority, end without incident.
GVS: Chief thank you very much and good luck to you sir.
JC: Thank you so much Greta and you have a great day.
[[GRETA]]
THERE WAS …
A RARE OCCURRENCE …
DURING THE TRIAL ...
OF DEREK CHAUVIN:
MEMBERS OF THE …
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE FORCE …
INCLUDING THE CITY’S …
POLICE CHIEF ...
TESTIFIED AGAINST …
THEIR FORMER COLLEAGUE.
THIS WAS A CHANGE ….
TO WHAT IS CALLED …
‘THE BLUE WALL OF SILENCE.’
IT IS THE INFORMAL CODE ...
OF SILENCE …
AMONG POLICE OFFICERS ...
NOT TO REPORT ...
ACTS OF MISCONDUCT...
BY FELLOW OFFICERS ...
WHILE ON DUTY.
FROM LOS ANGELES …
VOA’S MIKE O’SULLIVAN ...
EXAMINES THE IMPACT ...
THIS COULD HAVE ...
ON FUTURE CASES.
[[STOP]]
[[PKG/O’SULLIVAN]]
((CREDIT: COURT TV))
((NARRATOR))
Joy and relief on the streets of Minneapolis where George Floyd died last year.
Jurors found Floyd, an African American, died from excessive force at the hands of former officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted Tuesday of second and third degree murder and manslaughter.
((NEED STILL OR VIDEO OF CHAUVIN/FLOYD - FOLO WITH AP SHOT OF LONDON PROTEST))
The deadly confrontation, which was recorded on video, sparked protests around the world.
((Barry Friedman, Policing Project at New York University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“So many people viewed what happened and we also, I think, have heard loud and clear the voice of impacted black and brown communities about the nature of policing in the United States, and I think all of that came together in this verdict.”
((SHOW AP SHOT OF CELL PHONE VIDEO OF CHAUVIN ON FLOYD’S NECK, CREDIT: COURT TV/DARNELLA FRAZIER))
((Mandatory CREDIT: COURT TV/DARNELLA FRAZIER))
The evidence was overwhelming, says another law professor.
((Josephine Ross, Law Professor at Howard University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“It’s so clearly not what police are trained to do, and it’s caught on tape, so yes, this is very, very unusual to have somebody actually convicted and to be convicted of murder is even more unusual.”
((SHOW AP CLIPS OF POLICE OFFICER IN COURT IN WALTER SCOTT CASE, AP SHOT OF VIGIL FOR SCOTT))
((NARRATOR))
In a 2015 case with parallels to this one, a white officer is seen on video shooting a black man, Walter Scott, in the back. The former officer was not convicted of murder after a hung jury led to a mistrial.
But he was later sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pled guilty to federal charges of violating Scott’s civil rights.
One factor for the lack of convictions is that prosecutors often have a close working relationship with police, says legal analyst Michele Goodwin.
((Michele Goodwin, University of California, Irvine School of Law))
((Mandatory cg: Skype))
“Prosecutors may be reluctant, then, to issue charges against police officers or may not act as zealously in those trials. Take note that in the Derek Chauvin trial, it was not handled as these matters typically are by local prosecutors. Instead this was turned over to the ((Minnesota)) Attorney General.”
((SHOW AFP SHOT OF MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF, DETECTIVE, CREDIT:
((Mandatory credit: COURT TV))
Another difference in the George Floyd case was the crumbling of the so-called blue wall of silence as a series of police officers testified against Chauvin.
((Josephine Ross, Law Professor at Howard University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“And I think that’s huge. If that continues to happen, the culture of policing will change.”
((SHOW AP SHOTS OF PROTESTS OVER ERIC GARNER, MICHAEL BROWN DEATHS))
((NARRATOR))
These experts say residents of inner city communities are over-policed, resulting in too many tragedies.
((Barry Friedman, Policing Project at New York University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“The police are not equipped to deal with most of the problems that the folks in these communities face, and so we need to reimagine policing and rethink it, and frankly transform it.”
((SHOW ARCHIVE FILM OF ARREST IN 1965 WATTS RIOTS, CREDIT: British Movietone, SHOW AP SHOTS OF SAN FRANCISCO GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST))
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory courtesy: British Movietone))
Social change has only come after people speak out, says another analyst.
((Steve Phillips, “Democracy in Color” Podcast Host))
“And demanding and marching and boycotting, buses in Montgomery and marching on Washington and doing all manner of resistance to inequality that demands action.”
((SHOW AP SHOT OF BODY CAM FOOTAGE, CREDIT: WSYX/COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE, SHOW AP CLIPS OF OHIO PROTEST))
((NARRATOR))
((Mandtory CREDIT: WSYX/COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE,
The day the Minneapolis verdicts were announced, another police shooting in Columbus, Ohio. An officer killed a teenage girl who was seen on video wielding a knife.
Critics say police need to follow clear, consistent rules for the use of force across the country. Police say their job is dangerous and that they’re asked to do too much without necessary resources, sometimes facing distraught people who need psychiatric help.
((SHOW AP CLIP OF MAKESHIFT SHRINE IN MINNEAPOLIS))
Amid calls for changes in policing, in Minneapolis, there is relief that the judicial system has delivered a measure of justice.
((Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News))
[[GRETA]]
IN 2015 …
PROTESTS AND RIOTS …
ROCKED THE MIDATLANTIC CITY …
OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
THIS, AFTER FREDDIE GRAY …
A 25-YEAR OLD BLACK MAN …
DIED OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES …
WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY.
THREE OF THE OFFICERS …
IN THAT CASE ...
WERE FOUND NOT GUILTY …
AND CHARGES WERE DROPPED …
FOR THREE MORE OFFICERS.
AT THE TIME OF THE DEATH
AND THE RIOTS,
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE ...
WAS BALTIMORE'S MAYOR.
I ASKED HER ABOUT ...
THE CHALLENGES ...
POLICE FACE IN LARGE CITIES
AND IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
[[STOP]]
[[RAWLINGS-BLAKE INTERVIEW]]
GVS: GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
SRB: STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE
SRB: The biggest challenge I will one of the biggest challenges I would say is the the challenge of trust. I often say when it comes to policing the police in the community are in a marriage. We are in a marriage and there's no possibility of divorce annulment or anything We're in it And it can be a great. It can be a great relationship or it can be a bad one, but we're in it in order to have a great one you have to have communication and you have to have trust. And 01:08 right now there's not a lot of trust between the community and the police. We have to figure out how to bridge that gap.
GVS: Well it seems like the trust is broken down. At least what we're seeing is between the races in the country, African-Americans and white police officers seems to be a huge problem. Is there any way to build that trust?
SRB: Well I think it's definitely true that there is a challenge when it comes to African-Americans and the police department. But I don't think we should ignore the fact that it's not just African-Americans and a lot of poor white communities that same tension exists, and I think it's about reimagining what policing means in our country, as well as trying to find a path forward for the good officers to, to help us identify those officers that by their wrongful actions put that put the good officers in jeopardy and the community in jeopardy and we have to identify them and we have to get them off the street.
GVS: It seems to me it falls into two categories in general. One is someone who's indecent. And I don't know how you sort of legislate decency. I mean that's very difficult. And the other. There is sort of a split-second decision in a very dangerous or potentially dangerous position that turns out to be in hindsight the wrong decision. So how how do we go about how do we go about fighting those challenges?
SRB: So as far as the ones that you're calling indecent I think we need to do a better job using technology and using other supports to create a path of red flags. We know the set of circumstances that can lead and sometimes even an otherwise an officer that hasn't had problems before. We know the stressors that line up to create problems on the street. We might think there that we need to have an officer that has racism in his or her heart for something like what we've seen in the past to happen with excessive force, that's really not the case. We've seen where there have been in office, there have been officers that have had a series of overtime shifts back to back to back that lead to poor judgment and can be an indicator that they are at risk for having a discourteous interaction with the community. We've seen officers where they've come off of being a witness or on the scene of a very horrific crime scene. And that has been something that is a red flag triggering discourteous or excessive force. So. We have to do a better job identifying those those stressors and and taking the officers out of that situation, but then to when you talk about the split second decision that's taking officers I believe, out of situations where they do not need to be. There's no reason why in some of these interactions for non-violent, non-threatening events such as George Floyd with the counterfeit 20 dollar bill, that does not require someone that has lethal force to respond And we have to figure out ways that for these lesser, lesser crimes, we have a different way of sending help or sending city services or municipal services so that we can take police officers who are trained with guns and tasers and to use a life ending force, we need to take them out of the equation in many of these circumstances.
Officers need to to know how to engage with people and to de-escalate you. You probably won't be surprised to know that when you take a look at the data, women officers their de-escalation skills overall far surpassed those of male officers, their excessive force are far beneath those of male officers. and I say that because before you get to that space where you have that tension and you don't know what possibly can happen. I've seen video movies, documentaries talking about the impact of having more women officers on the street where a female officer approaches that person in the car in such a different way. Understanding, listen I know that this is a stressful situation. This is what's about to happen, talking to talking to that individual in a way that just brings the temperature down from the beginning. We have to do a better job training these officers. And and like I said before, some some officers just aren't cut out to de-escalate. We need to get them off the street because these are those are the situations that are causing these these unnecessarily violent interactions.
GVS: I think it must be tough for so many good men and women black white who are police officers right now. I think I think they're feeling a lot of a lot of stress. And I think the morale is low because this has been a tough time.
SRB: The morale is definitely low for a number of reasons and that's why I think it's just so important for police organizations to come out and to make sure that they are clear with the public about what their priorities are what their standards are, that standard of ethics and the standard of conduct that they will be held to. it's important that that blue wall of silence in too many police departments that blue wall of silence still exists and it has to come down.
[[GRETA]]
PROTESTS THAT FOLLOWED …
THE POLICE KILLING …
OF GEORGE FLOYD ...
SPARKED AN EXAMINATION …
OF JUSTICE …
RACISM AND COLONIAL HISTORY.
FROM LONDON …
HENRY RIDGWELL …
SHOWS US HOW THAT MESSAGE …
HAS RESONATED …
ELSEHWERE IN THE WORLD.
[[STOP]]
[[PKG RIDGWELL]]
((VIDEO: AFP FOOTAGE OF MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS AFTER FLOYD’S DEATH))
((NARRATOR))
From the streets of Minneapolis – anger spread across the world – and became a global force for change.
((VIDEO: AFP FOOTAGE OF LONDON BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS))
So, has the murder conviction against former police officer Derek Chauvin delivered justice?
((Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, British Racial Equality Activist))
“It's a step in the right direction. But we must have real reform, you cannot reform racism, you can't reform white supremacy.”
((VIDEO: REUTERS/APTN/AFP FOOTAGE OF STATUE DESTRUCTION))
((NARRATOR))
But eradicating racism that has its roots in centuries of colonial history remains the question. In Britain, statues became the target – this monument to slave trader Edward Colston torn down in the city of Bristol.
Artist Helen Wilson Roe has replaced it with a portrait of George Floyd.
((Helen Wilson Roe, Artist and Activist))
“Even though this is a victory in America and for Black people and for us; in regards to George Floyd having Derek Chauvin being convicted for the murder of another Black brother, we've got a long way to go and we can't stop here.”
((VIDEO: APTN FOOTAGE OF MARVIN REES))
((NARRATOR))
Marvin Rees was elected Bristol’s mayor in 2016 – the first Black person to hold the office in any major European city.
((Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol))
“This image, this narrative around Black men being a threat and their lives being of less value within the criminal justice system in particular but in society as a whole is still with us and how we get beyond that, after being built up after centuries, how we get beyond that is a huge challenge for us and I don’t think there are any easy answers.”
((VIDEO: APTN/AFP FOOTAGE OF TRAORÉ’S SISTER, PHOTOS OF ADAMA))
((NARRATOR))
Adama Traoré died in French police custody in 2016 aged 24. Traoré’s family says he suffocated when he was pinned down by officers; the police strongly deny this.
No one has been charged and investigations are ongoing. Protests erupted across France last year demanding justice for George Floyd and Adama Traoré. His family says there is one key difference.
((Assa Traoré, Sister of Adama Traoré (in French) ))
“Clearly, if there had been a video, the situation would have been different. There is no video. How many cases are there in France, in the world, where there is no video? What should we do with these dead, these victims?”
((VIDEO: APTN FOOTAGE OF PRETORIA STREETS))
((NARRATOR))
In South Africa, many who live in Black communities say police brutality is endemic – though not necessarily driven by race. Diversity activist Asanda Ngoasheng says the death of George Floyd resonated in a nation once under apartheid.
((Asanda Ngoasheng, Diversity Trainer and Activist))
((cf. mandatory courtesy: ‘Google Hangouts’))
“Globally, we feel the yoke of white supremacy, we feel the foot on our necks as Black people. And so, when incidents like this happen, they amplify, they remind us that globally we have a common suffering as people of color in general. I’m hoping that as the United States reckons with its history of violence, it’s going to mean less emboldenment of white supremacists in South Africa in particular, and I think globally as well.”
((VIDEO: REUTERS/APTN FOOTAGE OF CANDLES, FLOWERS AT SITE OF FLOYD MURDER))
((NARRATOR))
Just as the pain of George Floyd’s murder was felt around the world – there is shared hope that his tragic death may be a catalyst for change, a milestone on the long road to justice and equality.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London))
[[GRETA]]
THAT’S ALL THE TIME …
WE HAVE FOR NOW.
THANKS TO MY GUESTS …
DETROIT POLICE CHIEF …
JAMES CRAIG …
AND FORMER BALTIMORE MAYOR …
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE.
STAY UP TO DATE …
ON THE LATEST NEWS …
AT VOANEWS.COM.
AND FOLLOW ME …
ON TWITTER …
AT GRETA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING …
PLUGGED IN.
[[STOP]]
ON PLUGGED IN …
A RARE MURDER CONVICTION …
FOR AN AMERICAN POLICEMAN.
[[SOT Judge 00:16 ‘We the jury in the above entitled matter as to count one, unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony, find the defendant guilty.”]]
THE GUILTY VERDICT …
FOR THE KILLING …
OF GEORGE FLOYD …
PUTS A SPOTLIGHT …
ON POLICE TRAINING …
AND TACTICS.
[[JAMES CRAIG SOT "The policing profession is in a crisis, clearly in a crisis. In my forty-four years, I've seen no other time like this."]]
AND THE CONCERNS …
OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES …
WHETHER THE CRIMINAL …
JUSTICE SYSTEM ...
WORKS FOR THEM, TOO.
[[STEPHANIE RAWLINGS SOT: “Right now there's not a lot of trust between the community and the police. We have to figure out how to bridge that gap” ]]
TACTICS ...
TRAINING …
POLICY …
PROCEDURE …
ON PLUGGED IN …
POLICING …
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT …
IN AMERICA.
####
[[GRETA O/C]]
HELLO AND WELCOME …
TO PLUGGED IN.
I’M GRETA VAN SUSTEREN …
REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON, DC.
GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES.
THAT WAS THE VERDICT
FORMER MINNEAPOLIS …
POLICE OFFICER DEREK CHAUVIN ...
CONVICTED…
FOR THE MAY 2020 KILLING …
OF GEORGE FLOYD …
SUSPECTED OF PASSING …
COUNTERFEIT MONEY.
45 WITNESES TESTIFIED …
DURING THE THREE-WEEK TRIAL.
BUT THE KEY PIECE …
OF EVIDENCE …
WAS THE VIDEO …
TAKEN BY A BYSTANDER ...
THE VIDEO SHOWING OFFICER CHAUVIN …
KNEELING ON FLOYD’S NECK …
FOR MORE THAN NINE MINUTES …
IGNORING HIS PLEAS …
THAT HE COULD NOT BREATHE.
VOA’S ESHA SARAI (pronounced EE-shuh suh-RYE)
BEGINS OUR COVERAGE …
FROM MINNEAPOLIS:
[[STOP]]
[[PKG: SARAI WITH STANDUP]]
((Narrator))((Crowds outside the county courthouse))((Nats))
The Hennepin County Courthouse — the site of protests for weeks as a jury heard arguments in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin — became a gathering place for celebration and healing after Tuesday’s verdict.
((Lalla, Minneapolis Resident))
“I love to see my Black people out here. I'd love to see everyone out here with us standing with us. I just, I just don't know what else to say... Black lives, they matter here!”
((Asia, Minneapolis Resident))
“We all wanted all three charges. And that's what everybody got. And everyone out here, as you can see, we all felt the same way, no matter what walks of life, no matter what you look like, guilty is what we wanted and that's all we got.”
((VIDEO: Biden, Harris walking to the podium))
At the White House, President Joe Biden, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, called the guilty verdict “a step forward,” and urged the passage of police reform legislation as part of a “march towards justice in America.”
((President Joe Biden))
“"We have to listen: "I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Those were George Floyd's last words. We can't let those words die with him.”
((Esha Sarai, VOA))
Demonstrators took to the streets in celebration of the verdict of the Chauvin trial here in Minneapolis, but many say that work remains to be done — including in the case of Daunte Wright who was shot and killed by police here last week.
((NAT: “DAUNTE WRIGHT IS NEXT))
((Mo, Twin Cities Relief Initiative))
“To be perfectly honest, it's only one. The fight isn't over yet. Like, mind you, we're partying and we're having a great time. But we still have Kim Potter we have to deal with next. So, the show must still go on. And we must still fight.”
((Kudee Garley, Minneapolis Resident))
“I don’t really care who's found guilty, who's not guilty. Let's just stop the killing, the bloodshed, you know, let's treat people like equal citizens.”
((Narrator))((protest video))
But for now, many are hopeful that Tuesday’s verdict — what rights groups say is the first time the state of Minnesota has convicted a white police officer in the death of a Black man — is a turning point for racial justice in the United States.
((Esha Sarai, VOA News, Minneapolis))
[[GRETA]]
IN AUGUST …
A TRIAL WILL BE HELD …
FOR THREE OTHER …
FIRED POLICE OFFICERS …
WHO WERE AT THE SCENE…
WITH CHAUVIN.
THEY ARE ACCUSED OF AIDING …
AND ABETTING …
CHAUVIN’S ACTIONS.
PLUGGED IN’S STEVE REDISCH …
LOOKS AT THE KEY DATES …
IN THE TIMELINE.
[[STOP]]
[[PKG/REDISCH TIMELINE]]
((VO TIMELINE May 25, 2020))
May 25th, 2020 approximately 8:00 pm, Minneapolis police respond to a call about the possible use of a counterfeit $20 bill. 46-year-old George Floyd is arrested and taken into custody.
Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop.
((Video: Of Bystanders-Video of George Floyd saying “I can’t breathe))
A video taken by 17-year-old Darnella Frazier shows Floyd crying and saying, “I can’t breathe.”. He is pronounced dead at a hospital.
((https://web.archive.org/web/20200526183652/https://www.insidempd.com/2020/05/26/man-dies-after-medical-incident-during-police-interaction/))
That night, a statement by Minneapolis police said officers got Floyd “into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress.”
((scroll up to show the added FBI sentence))
Once the video was posted and went viral, police updated its statement, saying the FBI will help investigate.
((Video of the mugshot of the three arrested former police officers)
Chauvin and three other officers are fired.
((NAT POP-Protests / violent protests // Video Crowd Chanting “Say his name-George Floyd))
Protests that began in Minneapolis spread elsewhere. Some turned violent. Most were peaceful.
((VO TIMELINE May 29, 2020))
On May 29th, fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
((VO-TIMELINE June 3, 2020))
After Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison takes over the case, a tougher second-degree murder charge was added.
((REVEAL VO-TIMELINE June 5, 2020))
11 days after Floyd’s death, Minneapolis bans chokeholds by police.
((VO TIMELINE March 12, 2021))
Nearly 10 moths after George Floyd died, Minneapolis agrees to a $27-million settlement to his family, March 12, 2021.
((REVEAL VO TIMELINE March 29, 2021))
Two weeks later, March 29th, opening statements were delivered in the of Derek Chauvin.
((VO TIMELINE APRIL 19, 2021))
Three weeks after it began, closing arguments were delivered on April 19 and the case went to the jury.
((VO REVEAL TIMELINE APRIL 20, 2021))
After just 10 hours of deliberation, the jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts.
((Video of Derek Chauvin handcuffed and walked out of the courtroom))
The former police officer faces a maximum of 40 years in prison for the most serious count. Sentencing will be announced in June.
[GRETA OC]
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ...
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ...
REACTED TO THE CONVICTION ...
CHAUVIN’S LAWYER ARGUED ...
TO A JURY HE WAS DOING …
WHAT HE WAS TRAINED …
TO DO.
JAMES CRAIG HAS BEEN ...
A POLICE OFFICER FOR ...
MORE THAN 40 YEARS.
HE IS NOW THE POLICE CHIEF...
FOR THE MIDWESTERN ...
CITY OF DETROIT.
WE TALKED ABOUT ...
WHERE POLICING IN AMERICA ...
IS HEADED FROM HERE.
[[STOP]]
[[CRAIG INTERVIEW SOT]]
GVS- GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
JC – JAMES CRAIG
JC: I predicted weeks ago that whether the officers were acquitted or found guilty, there would still be pockets of unrest around the country and we're seeing that now. Look the bottom line, Greta, today: the policing profession is in a crisis, clearly in a crisis. In my forty four years, I've seen no other time like this. There are those who are calling for the total dismantling of policing, with no idea of what goes in its place. There's also the continuation of defunding the police, without giving consideration to those who live in vulnerable communities. What do they want? I can tell you - in our city, Detroiters, they want effective constitutional policing. They don't want to defund, they want to fund.
GVS: How did we get here? Is it sort of that we've always been here but now we have body cams to see what happened, we're actually not hearing about it after the fact, but we get to be part of it whether it's a good arrest or a bad arrest and people have phones. Is that what's gotten us to this point or what is it?
JC: You know, a lot of things. You know, certainly one officer involved shooting that's determined to be excessive force, determined to be criminal-- in the case of Mr. Floyds death, I was one of the first police chiefs in America that came out publicly and said his agency, based on probable cause, should have arrested him. I was very firm on that. And so I think one incident like that is one too many. And then when you have other incidents that may be questionable. or you have an agency that may suppress evidence and are not real transparent, all those things together certainly create tremendous tension. Fortunately here in Detroit as I oftentimes say during 2020, when we saw a lot of the protests in Detroit, Detroit didn't burn. There was no looting. And there's a reason for that. You know, building trust in neighborhoods and communities should not start at the time something bad happens. It must be institutionalized in the fabric of that organization from the beginning, and when you do that and when bad things happen and you operate from a place of trust, integrity and transparency, people are more apt to give you an opportunity to address whatever the issue is.
GVS: What is the rule or where is the line is when our officers are taught that they are allowed to use deadly force?
JC: When there's an imminent threat to life. And certainly in the Columbus scenario, that officer saw a teenager, 16-year old, armed with a knife attacking another teenage young lady. And he believed at the time that she was going to get stabbed. And so he made a decision, a split-second decision to use deadly force, in defense of life.
So these are instances where officers don't have a lot of time. You have to make split second decisions. Hopefully it's the right decision. But the bottom line is in the defense of life, faced with an imminent threat.
GVS: What don't the American people and the politicians and the media get about being a police officer?
JC: I think they get it. I just think that they there's a minority voice in our community that has another agenda. And they want to undermine government as we know it. And part of that undermining government as we know it is dismantling police. There are people that are focused laser-like focused on dismantling police as we know it, I’m not talking about reform. And again part of the other part of the conversation is painting the profession with a broad brush. You can't paint a profession that way. Are there agencies out there that are in need of reform, that there may be a pattern and practice of conduct that's not suitable for effective constitutional policing? Yes, but you just don't decimate the entire profession to do that. And again as I said earlier, you know, one bad shooting is one too many.
But let’s also have a conversation about how many stops officers make over the course of a day throughout our country and the majority, the vast majority, end without incident.
GVS: Chief thank you very much and good luck to you sir.
JC: Thank you so much Greta and you have a great day.
[[GRETA]]
THERE WAS …
A RARE OCCURRENCE …
DURING THE TRIAL ...
OF DEREK CHAUVIN:
MEMBERS OF THE …
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE FORCE …
INCLUDING THE CITY’S …
POLICE CHIEF ...
TESTIFIED AGAINST …
THEIR FORMER COLLEAGUE.
THIS WAS A CHANGE ….
TO WHAT IS CALLED …
‘THE BLUE WALL OF SILENCE.’
IT IS THE INFORMAL CODE ...
OF SILENCE …
AMONG POLICE OFFICERS ...
NOT TO REPORT ...
ACTS OF MISCONDUCT...
BY FELLOW OFFICERS ...
WHILE ON DUTY.
FROM LOS ANGELES …
VOA’S MIKE O’SULLIVAN ...
EXAMINES THE IMPACT ...
THIS COULD HAVE ...
ON FUTURE CASES.
[[STOP]]
[[PKG/O’SULLIVAN]]
((CREDIT: COURT TV))
((NARRATOR))
Joy and relief on the streets of Minneapolis where George Floyd died last year.
Jurors found Floyd, an African American, died from excessive force at the hands of former officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted Tuesday of second and third degree murder and manslaughter.
((NEED STILL OR VIDEO OF CHAUVIN/FLOYD - FOLO WITH AP SHOT OF LONDON PROTEST))
The deadly confrontation, which was recorded on video, sparked protests around the world.
((Barry Friedman, Policing Project at New York University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“So many people viewed what happened and we also, I think, have heard loud and clear the voice of impacted black and brown communities about the nature of policing in the United States, and I think all of that came together in this verdict.”
((SHOW AP SHOT OF CELL PHONE VIDEO OF CHAUVIN ON FLOYD’S NECK, CREDIT: COURT TV/DARNELLA FRAZIER))
((Mandatory CREDIT: COURT TV/DARNELLA FRAZIER))
The evidence was overwhelming, says another law professor.
((Josephine Ross, Law Professor at Howard University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“It’s so clearly not what police are trained to do, and it’s caught on tape, so yes, this is very, very unusual to have somebody actually convicted and to be convicted of murder is even more unusual.”
((SHOW AP CLIPS OF POLICE OFFICER IN COURT IN WALTER SCOTT CASE, AP SHOT OF VIGIL FOR SCOTT))
((NARRATOR))
In a 2015 case with parallels to this one, a white officer is seen on video shooting a black man, Walter Scott, in the back. The former officer was not convicted of murder after a hung jury led to a mistrial.
But he was later sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pled guilty to federal charges of violating Scott’s civil rights.
One factor for the lack of convictions is that prosecutors often have a close working relationship with police, says legal analyst Michele Goodwin.
((Michele Goodwin, University of California, Irvine School of Law))
((Mandatory cg: Skype))
“Prosecutors may be reluctant, then, to issue charges against police officers or may not act as zealously in those trials. Take note that in the Derek Chauvin trial, it was not handled as these matters typically are by local prosecutors. Instead this was turned over to the ((Minnesota)) Attorney General.”
((SHOW AFP SHOT OF MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF, DETECTIVE, CREDIT:
((Mandatory credit: COURT TV))
Another difference in the George Floyd case was the crumbling of the so-called blue wall of silence as a series of police officers testified against Chauvin.
((Josephine Ross, Law Professor at Howard University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“And I think that’s huge. If that continues to happen, the culture of policing will change.”
((SHOW AP SHOTS OF PROTESTS OVER ERIC GARNER, MICHAEL BROWN DEATHS))
((NARRATOR))
These experts say residents of inner city communities are over-policed, resulting in too many tragedies.
((Barry Friedman, Policing Project at New York University))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“The police are not equipped to deal with most of the problems that the folks in these communities face, and so we need to reimagine policing and rethink it, and frankly transform it.”
((SHOW ARCHIVE FILM OF ARREST IN 1965 WATTS RIOTS, CREDIT: British Movietone, SHOW AP SHOTS OF SAN FRANCISCO GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST))
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory courtesy: British Movietone))
Social change has only come after people speak out, says another analyst.
((Steve Phillips, “Democracy in Color” Podcast Host))
“And demanding and marching and boycotting, buses in Montgomery and marching on Washington and doing all manner of resistance to inequality that demands action.”
((SHOW AP SHOT OF BODY CAM FOOTAGE, CREDIT: WSYX/COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE, SHOW AP CLIPS OF OHIO PROTEST))
((NARRATOR))
((Mandtory CREDIT: WSYX/COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE,
The day the Minneapolis verdicts were announced, another police shooting in Columbus, Ohio. An officer killed a teenage girl who was seen on video wielding a knife.
Critics say police need to follow clear, consistent rules for the use of force across the country. Police say their job is dangerous and that they’re asked to do too much without necessary resources, sometimes facing distraught people who need psychiatric help.
((SHOW AP CLIP OF MAKESHIFT SHRINE IN MINNEAPOLIS))
Amid calls for changes in policing, in Minneapolis, there is relief that the judicial system has delivered a measure of justice.
((Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News))
[[GRETA]]
IN 2015 …
PROTESTS AND RIOTS …
ROCKED THE MIDATLANTIC CITY …
OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
THIS, AFTER FREDDIE GRAY …
A 25-YEAR OLD BLACK MAN …
DIED OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES …
WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY.
THREE OF THE OFFICERS …
IN THAT CASE ...
WERE FOUND NOT GUILTY …
AND CHARGES WERE DROPPED …
FOR THREE MORE OFFICERS.
AT THE TIME OF THE DEATH
AND THE RIOTS,
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE ...
WAS BALTIMORE'S MAYOR.
I ASKED HER ABOUT ...
THE CHALLENGES ...
POLICE FACE IN LARGE CITIES
AND IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
[[STOP]]
[[RAWLINGS-BLAKE INTERVIEW]]
GVS: GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
SRB: STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE
SRB: The biggest challenge I will one of the biggest challenges I would say is the the challenge of trust. I often say when it comes to policing the police in the community are in a marriage. We are in a marriage and there's no possibility of divorce annulment or anything We're in it And it can be a great. It can be a great relationship or it can be a bad one, but we're in it in order to have a great one you have to have communication and you have to have trust. And 01:08 right now there's not a lot of trust between the community and the police. We have to figure out how to bridge that gap.
GVS: Well it seems like the trust is broken down. At least what we're seeing is between the races in the country, African-Americans and white police officers seems to be a huge problem. Is there any way to build that trust?
SRB: Well I think it's definitely true that there is a challenge when it comes to African-Americans and the police department. But I don't think we should ignore the fact that it's not just African-Americans and a lot of poor white communities that same tension exists, and I think it's about reimagining what policing means in our country, as well as trying to find a path forward for the good officers to, to help us identify those officers that by their wrongful actions put that put the good officers in jeopardy and the community in jeopardy and we have to identify them and we have to get them off the street.
GVS: It seems to me it falls into two categories in general. One is someone who's indecent. And I don't know how you sort of legislate decency. I mean that's very difficult. And the other. There is sort of a split-second decision in a very dangerous or potentially dangerous position that turns out to be in hindsight the wrong decision. So how how do we go about how do we go about fighting those challenges?
SRB: So as far as the ones that you're calling indecent I think we need to do a better job using technology and using other supports to create a path of red flags. We know the set of circumstances that can lead and sometimes even an otherwise an officer that hasn't had problems before. We know the stressors that line up to create problems on the street. We might think there that we need to have an officer that has racism in his or her heart for something like what we've seen in the past to happen with excessive force, that's really not the case. We've seen where there have been in office, there have been officers that have had a series of overtime shifts back to back to back that lead to poor judgment and can be an indicator that they are at risk for having a discourteous interaction with the community. We've seen officers where they've come off of being a witness or on the scene of a very horrific crime scene. And that has been something that is a red flag triggering discourteous or excessive force. So. We have to do a better job identifying those those stressors and and taking the officers out of that situation, but then to when you talk about the split second decision that's taking officers I believe, out of situations where they do not need to be. There's no reason why in some of these interactions for non-violent, non-threatening events such as George Floyd with the counterfeit 20 dollar bill, that does not require someone that has lethal force to respond And we have to figure out ways that for these lesser, lesser crimes, we have a different way of sending help or sending city services or municipal services so that we can take police officers who are trained with guns and tasers and to use a life ending force, we need to take them out of the equation in many of these circumstances.
Officers need to to know how to engage with people and to de-escalate you. You probably won't be surprised to know that when you take a look at the data, women officers their de-escalation skills overall far surpassed those of male officers, their excessive force are far beneath those of male officers. and I say that because before you get to that space where you have that tension and you don't know what possibly can happen. I've seen video movies, documentaries talking about the impact of having more women officers on the street where a female officer approaches that person in the car in such a different way. Understanding, listen I know that this is a stressful situation. This is what's about to happen, talking to talking to that individual in a way that just brings the temperature down from the beginning. We have to do a better job training these officers. And and like I said before, some some officers just aren't cut out to de-escalate. We need to get them off the street because these are those are the situations that are causing these these unnecessarily violent interactions.
GVS: I think it must be tough for so many good men and women black white who are police officers right now. I think I think they're feeling a lot of a lot of stress. And I think the morale is low because this has been a tough time.
SRB: The morale is definitely low for a number of reasons and that's why I think it's just so important for police organizations to come out and to make sure that they are clear with the public about what their priorities are what their standards are, that standard of ethics and the standard of conduct that they will be held to. it's important that that blue wall of silence in too many police departments that blue wall of silence still exists and it has to come down.
[[GRETA]]
PROTESTS THAT FOLLOWED …
THE POLICE KILLING …
OF GEORGE FLOYD ...
SPARKED AN EXAMINATION …
OF JUSTICE …
RACISM AND COLONIAL HISTORY.
FROM LONDON …
HENRY RIDGWELL …
SHOWS US HOW THAT MESSAGE …
HAS RESONATED …
ELSEHWERE IN THE WORLD.
[[STOP]]
[[PKG RIDGWELL]]
((VIDEO: AFP FOOTAGE OF MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS AFTER FLOYD’S DEATH))
((NARRATOR))
From the streets of Minneapolis – anger spread across the world – and became a global force for change.
((VIDEO: AFP FOOTAGE OF LONDON BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS))
So, has the murder conviction against former police officer Derek Chauvin delivered justice?
((Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, British Racial Equality Activist))
“It's a step in the right direction. But we must have real reform, you cannot reform racism, you can't reform white supremacy.”
((VIDEO: REUTERS/APTN/AFP FOOTAGE OF STATUE DESTRUCTION))
((NARRATOR))
But eradicating racism that has its roots in centuries of colonial history remains the question. In Britain, statues became the target – this monument to slave trader Edward Colston torn down in the city of Bristol.
Artist Helen Wilson Roe has replaced it with a portrait of George Floyd.
((Helen Wilson Roe, Artist and Activist))
“Even though this is a victory in America and for Black people and for us; in regards to George Floyd having Derek Chauvin being convicted for the murder of another Black brother, we've got a long way to go and we can't stop here.”
((VIDEO: APTN FOOTAGE OF MARVIN REES))
((NARRATOR))
Marvin Rees was elected Bristol’s mayor in 2016 – the first Black person to hold the office in any major European city.
((Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol))
“This image, this narrative around Black men being a threat and their lives being of less value within the criminal justice system in particular but in society as a whole is still with us and how we get beyond that, after being built up after centuries, how we get beyond that is a huge challenge for us and I don’t think there are any easy answers.”
((VIDEO: APTN/AFP FOOTAGE OF TRAORÉ’S SISTER, PHOTOS OF ADAMA))
((NARRATOR))
Adama Traoré died in French police custody in 2016 aged 24. Traoré’s family says he suffocated when he was pinned down by officers; the police strongly deny this.
No one has been charged and investigations are ongoing. Protests erupted across France last year demanding justice for George Floyd and Adama Traoré. His family says there is one key difference.
((Assa Traoré, Sister of Adama Traoré (in French) ))
“Clearly, if there had been a video, the situation would have been different. There is no video. How many cases are there in France, in the world, where there is no video? What should we do with these dead, these victims?”
((VIDEO: APTN FOOTAGE OF PRETORIA STREETS))
((NARRATOR))
In South Africa, many who live in Black communities say police brutality is endemic – though not necessarily driven by race. Diversity activist Asanda Ngoasheng says the death of George Floyd resonated in a nation once under apartheid.
((Asanda Ngoasheng, Diversity Trainer and Activist))
((cf. mandatory courtesy: ‘Google Hangouts’))
“Globally, we feel the yoke of white supremacy, we feel the foot on our necks as Black people. And so, when incidents like this happen, they amplify, they remind us that globally we have a common suffering as people of color in general. I’m hoping that as the United States reckons with its history of violence, it’s going to mean less emboldenment of white supremacists in South Africa in particular, and I think globally as well.”
((VIDEO: REUTERS/APTN FOOTAGE OF CANDLES, FLOWERS AT SITE OF FLOYD MURDER))
((NARRATOR))
Just as the pain of George Floyd’s murder was felt around the world – there is shared hope that his tragic death may be a catalyst for change, a milestone on the long road to justice and equality.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London))
[[GRETA]]
THAT’S ALL THE TIME …
WE HAVE FOR NOW.
THANKS TO MY GUESTS …
DETROIT POLICE CHIEF …
JAMES CRAIG …
AND FORMER BALTIMORE MAYOR …
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE.
STAY UP TO DATE …
ON THE LATEST NEWS …
AT VOANEWS.COM.
AND FOLLOW ME …
ON TWITTER …
AT GRETA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING …
PLUGGED IN.
[[STOP]]
