The brutal and heartless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis caught on video has sparked outrage and anger throughout the US and indeed the world. Marches, looting and rioting rocked inner cities across the US. As usual in these race protests, stores and businesses were burned and looted. The people who live in these neighborhoods will have to go somewhere else to buy groceries and to get their medications, maybe for a long time. The owners of these shops may not be able to rebuild or simply choose not to take the risk again. That’s what happened in Watts and SE Los Angeles after the Rodney King riots in 1992.
The funerals and eulogies go on and on for Mr. Floyd. It is now two weeks after his death and there is yet another funeral service in Houston today. The service was carried on all major networks and every cable network. It has started to sound like George was a Gandhi or Mandela. Maybe a martyred saint? More on that a bit further on.
Certainly his killer, former officer Derek Chauvin, is no saint. He has 18 complaints against him about excessive violence and several shootings, including one that resulted in the death of a suspect. The graphic video shows his sneering disdain for the life of the man under his knee.
Interestingly, Derek and George knew each other as they both worked at El Nuevo Rodeo as security guards at this popular Minneapolis club that had a largely minority clientele.
His rough treatment of rowdy customers was reported to the owner on numerous occasions. The fact that Chauvin and Floyd knew each other raises another troubling aspect to this tragic story.
Mr. Floyd has a history of trouble with the law and has accumulated a long list of convictions. As is usual with career criminals, there are usually many more violations of the law that did not result in convictions.
1990 Theft and possession of cocaine.
1998 Ten months in prison for firearm robbery.
2002 Thirty days for criminal trespass.
2002 Eighteen months for cocaine violation.
2004 Ten months for cocaine violation.
2007 Five years for armed home invasion/robbery and pointing a gun at a pregnant woman.
When Floyd got out of prison in Texas he moved to Minneapolis to “turn his life around”. He worked as a truck driver and bouncer. Indeed, he has had no convictions since the five-year stretch in Houston. His autopsy showed that, at the time of his death, he had the following illegal drugs in his system: Fentanyl, methamphetamines, cannabis, and morphine. So at the least, we know that George had not dealt with his drug problem. A shop owner called the cops when George tried to pass a bad bill and unfortunately, Chauvin showed up.
During the riots and protests that broke out throughout US cities, a 38-year veteran of the St. Louis police department was shot trying to protect a pawnshop. His name was David Dorn, a retired police Captain and an African-American. This honorable and decent man killed in a senseless shooting by a black youth received almost no mention in the press. I guess it didn’t fit the narrative of corrupt police killing innocent blacks. Other police officers were killed and hundreds injured in the riots.
Now the cry is to de-fund the police and/ or completely eliminate the police departments. How do they think that’s going to work out? My guess is anarchy, especially in the poor neighborhoods. Then you will have a huge increase in gun ownership, some legal and much not. Are they going to call a social worker when some asshole is breaking into your house to rape your daughter and steal your TV?
Well said Dick. Many groups are using this situation to create chaos in the midst of a pandemic and economic turmoil. We need the police, just need the bad ones removed. David W.