Videos pile pressure on US police over racism, killings
MINNEAPOLIS, April 17, (AFP) - More shocking bodycam footage, more fatal shootings by officers, and a murder trial nearing its conclusion -public trust in the US police has seldom been more strained.
Video evidence showing apparent wrongful use of deadly force has been piling up, fueling a fierce debate on policing across the United States.
“I am a Black man, and I know from experience that the police just aren't professional,” said Darnell Squire, 46. “They aren't around to protect the community, or to make people feel safe, whatever they say. I don't trust promises from the government about things changing, and I don't trust the system or the courts.”
In a Minneapolis court, former officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for murder over the killing of George Floyd, with closing arguments next week before the jury delivers its verdict. As the trial examined video of Floyd dying while Chauvin knelt on his knee, outside the courtroom, fresh examples of police killings have stoked anger and protests.
An officer who stopped young Black man Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb last Sunday shot him dead in his car after mistaking her Taser for a gun -- all caught on bodycam. In another case, Chicago police released graphic footage of an officer shooting dead 13-year-old Adam Toledo in a dark alley, apparently suspecting he had dropped a gun.
The images of Floyd, Wright, Toledo and others dying at the hands of police have been contrasted to officers dealing with aggressive white men. On Wednesday, in a town outside Minneapolis, an officer was assaulted with a hammer and dragged at high-speed by a vehicle driven by a white, 61-year-old man. The suspect, who is accused of attacking shop staff who asked him to wear a Covid19 mask, rammed a police car and drove off with the officer hanging onto his car. No shots were fired, and the man was later arrested. “Was that man shot? No, of course not. That tells you all you need to know about police prejudice.”
Ahead of the Chauvin trial verdict, the US is braced for potentially violent protests if he is acquitted of murder.
“I fear the police, not Covid19,” said Minneapolis resident Tesfaye Habte.