IF YOU DON’T HAVE EMPATHY, PLEASE RETIRE

The justice system has done its duty. Twelve members of the community in Minneapolis were handed the evidence as well as the law and came to the verdict as read on Tuesday, finding former police officer Derek Chauvin culpable in the death of George Floyd. The justice system worked as it was designed. Mr. Floyd’s death did not go unanswered. Through the efforts of the investigators and the district attorney, Mr. Chauvin will now face the consequences of his actions. Hopefully this process has brought some measure of closure to Mr. Floyd’s family and those of us greatly affected by his death.

This is a moment for all law enforcement agencies to reflect, review and update their training and response as it relates to use of force. Protect and serve also means protecting those individuals we come into contact with and arrest. We must safely deliver them to court so they too can face justice.

My day took me on a drive through South Central Los Angeles. I was reminded of the response to the Rodney King verdict nearly 30 years ago. How the city was set ablaze and how thousands were injured and many killed as a result of the excessive use of force by police during King’s arrest.

Now, as we reflect on those moments, we can ask what have we learned from history? What has it all taught us? Do we continue to ignore the building tension in our communities of color where many feel oppressed by the police? Do we allow the simmering anti-law enforcement sentiment to boil over every 30 years and continue to ignore the root causes of why people feel this way? Police departments can do better. The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to make sweeping changes in the way we screen new hires. We screen new hires to weed out those who abuse drugs or who have committed crimes. Why not screen new hires for potential biases as it relates to race?

We need people who are not only tough and capable of defending themselves and the community they serve but also people who can be understanding and who are capable of showing empathy and compassion. The basic ability to recognize when a human being is in distress and potentially at risk for positional asphyxiation. Officers with the intestinal fortitude to intervene when they see their partners using excessive force and who actually stop their fellow officers from causing unnecessary harm to an arrestee.

I, like many of my former partners in law enforcement, was disgusted by the continued application of force by officer Chauvin even after Mr. Floyd was no longer resisting and was unresponsive. The mere fact first aid was not rendered by the officers on scene spoke volumes. The fact that officers spent more time trying to get people to stay back from the unfolding catastrophe rather than place Mr. Floyd in a position where he could possibly breathe was shameful. The crowd that had gathered wanted Mr. Floyd to be treated like a human being.

I commend the witnesses who at least begged the officers to let up on Mr. Floyd. Even though their words fell on deaf ears the day Mr. Floyd died, the jury heard their words loud and clear. We have a duty to protect and serve. This includes protecting and serving even the people we take into custody as law enforcement officers. This basic duty was not followed in Minneapolis. Now Mr. Chauvin will face the consequences.

If you are a law enforcement officer, I ask you to examine yourself. If you have lost the ability to show basic empathy or compassion when an individual is in distress, I ask you to consider retiring and allowing a new hire with these qualities to join the force. We should never lose sight of our mission to protect and serve. Everyone matters or no one matters. Justice has been served.

We should never lose sight of our mission to protect and serve. Everyone matters or no one matters.