Clark County leaders react to Chauvin verdict
The conviction of the ex-police officer was overdue, locals say.
The three guilty verdicts announced against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin brought a sense of overdue justice, said several Clark County community leaders reacting to the convictions.
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody last year.
Chauvin was videotaped by bystanders while kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes. The incident occurred as Chauvin and three other officers were detaining Floyd.
Floyd’s death last May lead to protests across the country, including in Springfield and the region, as those who participated called for an end to police brutality and called out systemic racism and racial injustice.
The guilty verdicts for Chauvin were announced on Tuesday. He was taken into custody and is expected to be sentenced in the coming weeks. He could face decades in prison.
For some in the community, the verdicts came as victory following nearly a year of protests and calls for more discussions about systemic racism nationwide.
Denise Williams, president of the Springfield Unit of the NAACP, said that she was thankful for the verdict but noted that there is still much more work that needs to be done.
She also said that justice will not be fully served in that case until the sentencing is handed down. One of the charges that Chauvin was convicted of holds a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
“We have waited for years for bad cops to be made accountable. It is a shame that we had to wait this long,” Williams said.
“Our work is not done. We must keep fighting. When we fight we win. We must keep fighting for justice and justice for all,” she added, noting that incidents such as the killing of Floyd are not uncommon.
Floyd’s death also fueled ongoing talks about systemic racism in the country. Those who demonstrated called out what they say is the impacts of institutional racism, not just in policing, but in education, healthcare and housing on a national level.
The protests and the issues fueling them also spurred the creation of two local law enforcement advisory teams that aim to provide additional community oversight in regards to policing as well as provide education and outreach.
The Clark County Law Enforcement Advisory Team is working with the Clark County Sheriff ’s Office and the Community Police Advisory Team is working with the Springfield Police Division.
James Bacon is the chairman for the Community Police Advisory Team and said that he believes Tuesday’s verdicts to be appropriate.
Bacon said what helped contribute to protests on a national level last year as well as ongoing frustration is that incidents, such as what happened to Floyd, are being filmed and not enough result in convictions or charges.
“It is way beyond time for these things to change,” he said, noting that those incidents feed into some communities’ distrust of law enforcement nationwide.
Clark County Law Enforcement Advisory Team chairwoman Janea Ivory released a statement to the Newssun on Wednesday afternoon regarding the conviction of Chauvin.
“The Clark County Law Enforcement Advisory Team (CCLEAT) acknowledges that there was a high level of doubt in the minds of so many Americans with regard to the outcome of this case — doubts that were warranted due to systemic failures of our justice system. This conviction shines a positive light for the future of justice in this country,” Ivory wrote.
Clark County Commissioner Melanie Flax Wilt said she was not surprised by the outcome of Chauvin’s trial, adding that if she had been on the jury she would have chosen to convict, as well.
“This is the right result. When there is a breakdown in law enforcement, the justice system should prevail, and it did in this case,” Flax Wilt said in a Facebook post.
“Finally, I am keeping close in my prayers our men and women in uniform who are by-and-large good people called to serve and protect for the right reasons with the right heart. I hope that many will continue to hear this call and recognize that they can be a difference in our community,” she added.
Representatives of Clark State College and Wittenberg University also released statements regarding the verdict.
“(Tuesday’s) guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial brings to a close a difficult chapter for our nation. But it is just that, a chapter. The struggles BIPOC and other marginalized people and communities face are real and continuing. We have a long way to go, and the struggle for justice stretches beyond today,” said Michael Frandsen, the president of Wittenberg University.
“In light of the jury’s verdict that Derek Chauvin be held responsible for the murder of George Floyd, I want to strongly and unequivocally assert Clark State’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as stated in our Guiding Principles and Strategic Plan,” said Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State.
“George Floyd’s murder demanded justice, and I am optimistic that our country, our community, and our college will come together in a thoughtful and respectful way to further the cause of racial justice,” Blondin said.