Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
LOCALS LAUD GUILTY VERDICT
Officials say fight against racism continues
The decision by a jury in Minneapolis to find former police officer Derek Chauvin, a white man, guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, was largely met with a sense of relief in communities across the nation, and a feeling that justice had been served.
However, there is also a widespread sentiment that when it comes to police reform and racial justice in America, this is just the beginning.
Tuesday’s guilty verdict will have positive impact on communities
throughout the country, making people safer, according to the wife of a local police officer.
“Bad police make the streets more dangerous, not just for civilians but for all police,” the woman, who asked to remain anonymous so as to be able to speak freely, said Wednesday. Every time an officer acts inappropriately with someone, it makes it harder for other officers to gain the trust of those they are sworn to protect — “which is scary.”
Holding police like Chauvin “accountable,” she said, along with technology like police body cameras, will let people see exactly what happens in interactions with officers — weeding
out the bad officers from the good.
The verdict — and the way it was reached, with police officers testifying against one of their colleagues — “will hopefully be a start towards cooling the temperature of the country” when it comes to law enforcement and community interaction, she hoped. “It felt a little bit like the blue wall (of silence) was falling,” the woman said.
In Harrisburg, state Sen. Carolyn Comitta, D-19th, of West Chester, who previously as borough mayor had overseen the police department, stressed how people of color continue to be failed by public institutions across the country.
“While this portion of the trial may be over, the struggle against systemic racism in our public institutions continues,” she wrote. “It continues in every community across America as we work to root out racism, discrimination, bigotry, and hatebased violence.
“George Floyd’s murder pushed many people to reflect more deeply on racism and the role it continues to play in our society and our public institutions,” said Comitta. “I hope that trend continues to grow. I hope we remain engaged, involved, and informed in the ongoing struggle for equality.”
Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan, whose office would be responsible for prosecuting police officers
accused of criminal misconduct like Chauvin, declared that “the justice system worked with fairness and integrity, but we still have a long way to go.
“No one is above the law,” a post on the office’s Facebook page stated. “We must strive to ensure that equal justice prevails.
“I pledge to continue pushing the Race & Justice Task Force to have open lines of communication between law enforcement and communities of color and will work to make necessary improvements for a fair system,” Ryan said.
Leon Spencer, former mayor of Kennett Square who oversaw a full-time police department, said the jurors reached the proper verdict.
“George Floyd was murdered, clearly murdered,” Spencer said. “And the verdict couldn’t have been any different in my mind. Sometimes law enforcement gets maligned, and in this case that officer was simply wrong. He is a murderer and he got what he deserved.”
Spencer said he is hoping the Floyd incident brings about reforms.
“You just don’t do that to another human being,” he said. “Police officers have a responsibility to uphold the law, but there has to be a humanitarian element that is part of that.”
Said state Rep. Kristine Howard, D-167th, of Malvern: “George Floyd’s unnecessary, brutal and unjust death as tragic as it was, sparked a light of hope and activism that continues to grow brighter. More and more people are embracing the truth of the injustice in our culture and country and becoming determined to do something about it. I can think of no greater memorial to George Floyd than that.”
West Chester Police Chief Jim Morehead said that the process was fair.
“Our system of justice has worked as it should, with the prosecutors and defense presenting their evidence to the jury, which
then deliberated and delivered a verdict,” Morehead said. “The trial was fair and due process was served.
“We expect all citizens to respect the rule of law and remain peaceful.”
East Coventry farmer Dorene Pasekoff considered the verdict while taking a break on a rainy day.
“I remember the Rodney King verdict,” she said. “That was frustrating.
“This one was a relief. Maybe we’ve learned something.”
Like most, East Goshen resident Beth Sweet watched the video.
“We knew what we saw on that video was murder, but we questioned if the verdict would come back guilty,” Sweet said. “I hope this is the first step towards police reform and accountability for violence against people of color.”
“The evidence and arguments from the defense were plainly not what the videos showed,” said Hillary Sheridan, defense attorney at Sheridan Lawyers of Kennett Square and West Chester.
“Citizens using the video power in their pockets, and more and more police departments requiring video/audio recording, will continue to play a vital role in our country’s battle against racial injustice,” Sheridan said. “If an incident is on video, it is there for the world to see; we no longer have the option to only take one side’s version of events. The playing of the video of one man kneeling on another’s neck for many minutes can, should, and did have one outcome: guilty.”