>>> IN THIS MOMENT WHERE WE HAVE
GEORGE FLOYD, BREONNA TAYLOR,
ALL THAT HAPPENED WHILE IN A
PANDEMIC, IF THERE IS NO NEW
POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE POLICY
COMING OUT OF THAT WE ARE IN
EFFECT SAYING TO THE PEOPLE OF
THIS COUNTRY, WE DO NOT CARE
THAT ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED.
>> DAYS AFTER ANNOUNCING A DOJ
INVESTIGATION INTO THE
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT,
OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK
GARLAND MET WITH THE NATION’S
TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
TODAY PROMISING IT’S THE FIRST
OF MANY MEETINGS ON THE TOPIC OF
CIVIL RIGHTS AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
BACK WITH US TONIGHT PROFESSOR
MELISSA MURRAY, NYU LAW SCHOOL,
A CLERK FOR JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR ON
THE FEDERAL BENCH AND THEN KEITH
MAYS, AUTHOR, PROFESSOR OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOU
BOTH.
PROFESSOR MAYS, IT IS TOO LONG
SINCE WE LAST SPOKE AND LIKE TO
BEGIN WITH YOU.
LOOK AT THE LIFE WE ARE LIVING
IN AMERICA, LOOK AT THE WEEK WE
HAVE JUST WITNESSED.
WE START WITH THE CHAUVIN
VERDICT AND NOW TONIGHT, OF
COURSE, WE ARE DISCUSSING THE
TWO LATEST POLICE SHOOTINGS.
IF I WERE TO CHART A GRAPHIC OF
YOUR EMOTIONS, YOUR HOPES AND
DREAMS OVER THE COURSE OF THIS
JUST THIS WEEK WHAT WOULD IT
SHOW ME?
>> BRIAN, IT WOULD SHOW YOU THAT
SOMEONE WHO WAS FILLED WITH JOY
AND HOPE AFTER THE CHAUVIN
CONVICTION BUT I HAVE TO TELL
YOU WITH THE ANTHONY BROWN
SITUATION ALONG WITH THE DAUNTE
WRIGHT SITUATION, I’M XAS
EXASPERATED AND ANGRY AND LESS
HOPEFUL THAT THINGS WILL CHANGE
AND WHAT THIS REVEALS IS THAT
THESE PRACTICES HAVE BEEN GOING
ON FOR MANY YEARS.
WE JUST HAVE AMATEUR DOCK MEN
TARYNS AND CINEMATOGRAPHERS
CAPTURES THIS ON THE CELL PHONE
VIDEOS AND IN MANY WAYS IT’S A
SITUATION WHERE THE LIGHT HAS
BEEN SHOWN ON WHAT BLACK PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN FACING FOR MANY YEARS
AND DECADES AND CENTURIES.
SO THE QUESTION BECOMES, BRIAN,
WHAT ARE WE PREPARED TO DO ABOUT
IT?
AL SHARPTON IS RIGHT.
IF WE DON’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
IT SUGGESTS WE DON’T CARE ABOUT
BLACK PEOPLE.
>> PROFESSOR MURRAY, WHEN THE
NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR CALLS
FOR BODY CAMERA VIDEO TO COME
OUT, LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE SAYING
LET’S GO SLOW, GET THIS RIGHT
AND WE NEED A COURT ORDER, DOES
IT HELP AT LEAST THAT THE SENIOR
ELECTED OFFICIAL, THE EXECUTIVE
IN THAT STATE IS WANTING TO
SPEED THE PLOW HERE?
>> I THINK IT CERTAINLY SUGGESTS
THIS IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AT THE
STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL WHEN YOU
HAVE THE GOVERNOR WEIGHING IN IN
THAT PARTICULAR WAY SO IT IS AN
ENCOURAGING SIGN.
I THINK GATHERING AS MUCH
EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE IN THIS
STAGE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO
ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE
INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO
APPROPRIATELY CHARGE IF THAT’S
WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO GOING
FORWARD WITH THE PROSECUTION SO
IT’S AN ENCOURAGING SIGN THAT
THE GOVERNOR IS TAKING IT SO
SERIOUSLY AND ALREADY INVOLVED
WITH IT.
>> PROFESSOR, WHILE IT IS
OUTSIDE OF THE LAW IN YOUR LIFE WORK, TO PROFESSOR MAYS’ POINT,
WORK, TO PROFESSOR MAYS’ POINT,
IS DARNELLA FRAZIER, AS 34U67MUC
HERO?
>> I THINK THAT’S CERTAINLY THE
CASE.
WHEN WE SAW THOSE THREE
CONVICTIONS COME DOWN ON
TUESDAY, I THINK EVERYONE
RECOGNIZED THAT IT LIKELY WOULD
NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT
THAT EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY,
WITHOUT HER VIDEO FOOTAGE AND
HAVING THE CALM AND THE PRESENCE
OF MIND TO CONTINUE FILMING EVEN
THOUGH SHE HERSELF SEEMED TO
HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED BY WHAT
SHE WITNESSED.
WE ALSO KNEW THAT THE POLICE
REPORT INITIALLY FILED HAD SOME
INCONSISTENCIES.
TO PUT IT MILDLY AND CERTAINLY
DID NOT CONGEAL WITH WHAT WE SAW
ON THE VIDEOTAPE SO HER
EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY IN THE