The Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie were dismayed over the news of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th at the hands of several city police officers.
Floyd was compliant and in handcuffs when he was taken to the ground and one officer ground his knee into Floyd’s neck which led to his death. That action is unconscionable and the officer should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The other officers who stood around and let it happen should also be prosecuted.
The crime that Floyd was taken into custody for doesn’t have a death sentence and even if it did the police officers acted way outside their mandate of protecting and serving. They violated department policy and Floyd’s due process.
This is happening far too often in this country where white police officers with some kind of power trip fetish, over police people of color and SHoWLE demands it stop now.
There is no more time for discussions, task forces, or promises to stop the murders – it MUST STOP NOW.
Police departments, including Toledo’s, must come under citizen led review committees.
Training programs need to be changed to focus on de-escalation and teaching not to use tactics that unnecessarily harm or further marginalize people of color.
There must be a stronger effort to recruit people of color for the police force and there must a strong effort to weed out the officers who can’t treat all members of the public equally and without bias.
We must all work together to end the murder of people in custody by police.
Douglas Berger – President SHoWLE