Responsible citizenship

Our world has been terribly upended since police officers in Minneapolis reportedly held a black man named George Floyd down for almost nine minutes, the last three when Floyd was not showing any life signs. It is just beyond my imagination to conceive of a police officer using his knee on a person’s neck to subdue him by cutting off his oxygen supply. Watching the video recording, it does not appear that the police officer was crazy; he looks perfectly calm while two other officers hold the man down and another stands guard. In addition, there are people in the crowd yelling at the police officer to ease up and allow the man to breathe.

My first response was immediate: Why didn’t someone do something to stop this killing? I know it would be risky, but I think someone should have just jumped over the fence and forced a confrontation that would have at least changed the proceedings. Why didn’t the police guard interrupt the procedure? The outcome was horrible!

Now, to make matters worse, while the coroner’s autopsy suggested that Floyd was not killed by asphyxiation, an independent autopsy ordered by the deceased family clearly indicates that he was killed when oxygen was cut off to his brain due to the knee pressure on his carotid arteries and esophagus. Is the coroner also guilty of perpetuating this crime against an African American citizen?

This situation has been worse for me since something like this has never been a part of my experience. I have been a police chaplain for over 25 years in a number of cities, and I have never seen or heard of police officers acting like this. In our area, I spent over 20 years with the Bella Vista Police Department and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office; and I can tell you, flat out, that if someone even hinted at something like this happening here, heads would roll immediately. Every officer is required to take a course on profiling every year, and they know you do not even contemplate this kind of activity.

My experience is not unique with me. Police officers in numerous cities have actually joined the protesters in support. In New York and Houston, police officers joined the protesters in their march. I can tell you that most of the police officers in the country detest what occurred in Minneapolis. The officers that I have encountered around here are appalled at this behavior.

But it was done! Now, what do we do? I was a part of dealing with mass riots in Kansas City, Mo., during the integration of black students into white schools, and I was on the receiving end of a crowd gone crazy while I was in high school; but I have not seen anything like the protests during the past several days in our country. At the risk of someone thinking I have the solution to these kinds of protests, let me at least make a few observations.

First, when a massive protest reaches a certain point, human decency and morality disappear and a confused, crazy (perhaps even animal-like) activity takes over and people do things they normally would never consider doing. Most of these protesters are good people with legitimate concerns, and they should be treated as such. However, those who intentionally break the law should immediately be apprehended and hauled off to jail. When reality begins to set in, some of the people who are involved in the protests may also provide deterrents to those who want to break the law.

Second, it is wrong to assume that any force — e.g. local and state police, the National Guard, and even the military — can force people in America to do anything. People have the right to protest, though not to break the law or hurt people. Mayors, governors and even our national government would do well to recognize the freedom of speech and work to provide opportunities for protest groups to gather together and express their concerns.

Third, rather than trying to sweep these protests out of sight, those in leadership should immediately join with the protest leaders to seek appropriate answers to the issues. No protest is going to solve the race problems in our country. It will take a concerted effort by a lot of people working together to discover the answers to a difficult problem.

And lastly, may I suggest that the issue of race relationships is not just a police issue; it involves all of us. The people in the crowd who did nothing to stop his killing also are guilty and need to address their issues. In our area, we have African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Caucasians, and other groups, and every person is important, both to God and to us living here. Yes, there are lawful issues that must be addressed, but they must be addressed without prejudice and in a humane manner. Good policing does not originate at the police office; it originates with a responsible citizenship caring for one another.

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Robert Box is the former chaplain for the Bella Vista Police Department and is currently the Fire Department chaplain. Opinions expressed are those of the author.