Throughout my political awakening, I've witnessed tonnes of police violence on video. With impunity, police can murder just about anyone they want and damn near get away with it every single time. In this case, that's not going to happen. The video shown below is not for the faint of heart. It shows officer Derek Chauvin with his knee on the neck of George Floyd as the man begs for the ability to breathe.
Not only does George Floyd beg for his life, but bystanders also plead with the officers on his behalf. One of them says she's a firefighter, and another said he's gone through police training himself. The white woman ("firefighter") and the black man (who "trained at the academy") both cry foul endlessly as the white and yellow police officers use their training to snuff (or help snuff) out this black man's life as he cries out for his mom.
There are many different lenses in which one can view this. We can look at it as a race issue, and in part, that may be the case. However, the only problem with looking at it that way—is that it divides us as Americans. There is a more healthy way to view this, and that's when anyone is unlawfully and mercilessly killed by a cop, we should all stand in unison against the act and demand that the offending officers are held accountable for their actions, and or inactions.
It's clear to me that both officer Derek Chauvin, and Tou Thao played an active role in ending George Floyd's life. It appears they did so despite the protest of at least two individuals, one who says he had police training and the other who claims she is a firefighter. The unlawful killing of 'we the people' by the police will not end until there is a major reformation of police departments in this country. Outside of reformation, the fact that many police get off scot-free only adds to the nationwide outrage and turmoil. If order is to be had, a change must be made immediately.
Update: May 28, 2020
Since publishing this article, I've learned that four officers were involved in the death of George Floyd. Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and Alexander Kueng were all promptly fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. It's early into the third day of the protests, which have now turned into riots. Many buildings in the area of tumult are now on fire.
If the offending officers were charged promptly like anyone else would've been, then perhaps the riots and destruction of the various properties could've been avoided. This is another situation of the straw that broke the camel's back, harkening back to the L.A. riots of '92, that were a direct result of the flagrant police brutality that Rodney King suffered.
Some protesters gathered outside the home of Derek Chauvin; this is the cop who kept his knee on the neck of George Floyd for up to eight minutes or more as he begged for mercy and then eventually succumbed to what was presumably a lack of oxygen to the brain.
A few of the various businesses destroyed and burnt to the ground so far are Aldies and Cubs (grocery stores), a high school, a Target store, and a new apartment complex that was nearing the end of its construction. The list of property damage has become so extensive that I don't care to rattle them all off, but this website did. In addition to all the property damage, the 3rd precinct in Minneapolis that employed the fired officers got breached, vandalized, and set ablaze.