Link.
Opinion - neither of these two should be allowed anywhere near the debate among civil, reasoning and open minded public officials:
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| Let them sell pillows or some such. |
________UPDATE________
Besides those two white guys "tough on crime," some additional links may help.
Guardian, here, here, and here. And in total honesty, Chauvin was prosecuted with a black Attorney General leading things. Prosecuting cops in Minneapolis is something which, historically, did not happen earlier so that things worsened.
Millions of excuses can be fashioned. The aim is from here into a future, the need for fashioning excuses for the likes of those two pictured above, will be unnecessary and avoided. Via civilized, thinking policy instead of selling "tough on crime" as policy slogan aimed to gain political office and advancement.
Yes, finger pointing is easy. However, it is even easier to simply sweep hard truth under a rug while pearl clutching over how we need to do things better, tomorrow.
Yesterday led to today, and denying that is a poor starting point for change.
FURTHER: Worth quoting, the words of Kenen Malik, in a previously linked Guardian item - closing paragraph:
Many policing reforms are urgently required, from demilitarisation to greater community oversight. But until the police stop seeing themselves, and being seen, as “an armed force to repress” the poor, until they stop being used as a means of managing inequality, and that inequality is challenged at its roots, little is likely to change.
Also, another Guardian item on Minneapolis policing, in a troubling catalog/listing form, showing case after case in chrono order.
The Fong Lee case in the chronology is particularly troubling over "he had a weapon" police testimony contradicted by other evidence - something which body cam usage may help counter. Ditto for Jamar Clark's case. Remember that Chauvin was subject to video evidence of the police-suspect encounter. Absent that, we might only guess at how the case may have played out. Body cams must be used and two reforms arguably would help: if a non-defective body cam is not turned on during a fatal encounter firing of the officer should be automatic; and in court proceedings the absence of body cam complete footage should create a rebuttable presumption that misconduct was at play (rebuttal by clear and convincing evidence being requisite).