AFTER
AFTER GEORGE GEORGE CLOYD'S THAT THE FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED
OF KILLING HIM WILL HEAD TO
TRIAL MONDAY IN WHAT MANY ARE
CALLING A LANDMARK CASE. NEWS8
SHANNON HANDEY SPOKE WITH A
LOCAL ACTIVIST WHO VISITED
FLOYD'S FAMILY LAST YEAR. SHE
HAS MORE ON NEXT WEEK'S TRIAL
AND WHY HE SAYS THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY WILL BE WATCHING.
REVEREND SHANE HARRIS HAS
PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE
BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
EVEN FLYING TO MINNEAPOLIS TO
MARCH ALONGSIDE GEORGE FLOYD'S
FAMILY, HE SAYS FOR THEM AND SO
MANY OTHERS THIS TRIAL ISN'T
JUST ABOUT JUSTICE BUT
PERMANENT CHANGE. WHAT DOES
THIS TRIAL MEAN FOR THE BLACK
COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE? I THINK
THAT IT MEANS A LOT IN REGARD
TO POLICING IN THIS COUNTRY AND
THE HISTORY OF RACIAL INJUSTICE
AND INEQUITY THAT HAS PLAGUED
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
FOR OVER 400 YEARS. IT IS A
VERY CRITICAL MOMENT AND IT'S A
CRITICAL CASE THAT WILL DECIDE
SORT OF HOW WE WILL DEAL WITH
RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THE FUTURE
AND GOING FOR THAT INJUSTICE AS
REVEREND JANE HARRIS COULD NOT
HAVE BEEN CLEARER AS SEEN IN
CELL PHONE VIDEO CAPTURED LAST
MAY SHOWING GEORGE FLOYD ON THE
GROUND HANDCUFFED AFTER BEING
ARRESTED OUTSIDE A MINNEAPOLIS
STORE FOR ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO
USE A COUNTERFEIT BILL. THE
OFFICER HOLDING DOWN A FLIGHT
DECK IS DERRICK SHERVIN. EIGHT
MINUTES AND FORTY SIX SECONDS
DREW THE HUMANITY OUT OF PEOPLE
FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS. I THINK
PEOPLE THAT WERE WHITE AND
BLACK AND LATINO AND ASIAN
SITTING THERE WATCHING ON TV
THIS MAN BEGGING AND PLEADING
FOR HIS LIFE. THEY SAW THE
HUMANITY IN THAT AND I THINK
THAT THAT IS WHAT IS DIFFERENT
NOW BEFORE IT WAS YOU KNOW, YOU
SAW THIS YOU SAW THIS IN
AMERICA WAS ALSO FORCED TO SIT
DOWN AND WATCH IT. THIS WAS THE
FIRST TIME THAT THAT HAPPENED
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. WHY DO
WE WANT FLOYDS SPARKED RALLIES
AND PROTESTS NATIONALLY AND
WORLDWIDE SINCE THEN, REVEREND
HARRIS SAYS REAL CHANGE HAS
EMERGED. LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES INCLUDING BOTH THE
SANDAG OF POLICE AND SHERIFF'S
DEPARTMENTS HAVE STOPPED USING
THE CAROTID RESTRAINT STATUES
AND NAME SYMBOLIZING RACIAL
INEQUALITY WERE EITHER REMOVED
OR REPLACE. STILL, REVEREND
HARRIS SAYS MORE IS NEEDED.
HE'S PUSHING FOR THE SENATE TO
PASS GEORGE BOYD JUSTICE AND
POLICING ACT OF 2021 WHICH
AMONG OTHER THINGS WOULD ENACT
A CAROTID RESTRAINT BAN AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL AND ALLOW THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO SERVE
SUBPOENAS AT POLICE DEPARTMENTS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IT
REALLY TAKES A LOOK AT
DECREASING THIS IMMUNITY AS
QUALIFIED IMMUNITY THAT
OFFICERS HAVE REALLY HAD FOR SO
LONG THAT PROTECTS THEM.
REVEREND HARRIS, WHO SERVES AS
PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE'S
ASSOCIATION OF JUSTICE
ADVOCATES, BELIEVES CHAUVIN'S
TRIAL WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THAT.
SHERVIN IS CHARGED WITH SECOND
DEGREE UNINTENTIONAL MURDER,
THIRD DEGREE MURDER AND SECOND
DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER. SIX MEN IN
I WOMEN HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO
SERVE ON THE JURY OF THE 15
JURORS WHICH INCLUDES
ALTERNATES, NINE ARE WHITE FOR
BLACK INTO MIXED RACE. YOU
CAN'T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE
THERE'S A DIVERSE JURY THAT THE
OUTCOME IS GOING TO BE THE
OUTCOME THAT YOU THINK OR YOU
HOPE FOR. LIKE SO MANY OTHERS,
REVEREND HARRIS WILL BE
WATCHING CLOSELY. AS FOR FLOYDS
FAMILY THOUGH, HE HASN'T BEEN
IN CONTACT WITH THEM FOR
SEVERAL MONTHS. HE SYMPATHIZES
WITH WHAT THEY'RE LIKELY GOING
THROUGH. THEY'RE PROBABLY VERY
OVERWHELMED DISTRESSED IN
REGARD TO THIS CASE BECAUSE
THESE CASES OFTEN ARE NEVER
CALLED AT THE BEGINNING THEY'RE
ALWAYS CALLED AT THE END AND
IT'S A PROCESS TO GET TO THE
END AND NOW YOU HAVE TO RELIVE
ALL OF THIS TRAUMA BECAUSE
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO
THROUGH THE TRIAL RELIVING IT.
SO WE'RE PRAYING FOR THEM AND
WE'RE HOPING FOR THE BEST
OUTCOME THAT WILL BRING THEM
SOME LEVEL OF CLOSURE, NOT
OUTCOME HE HOPES IS A GUILTY
VERDICT. IF NOT, HE CAUTIONS
THE OUTRAGE COULD ERUPT
ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO EXPRESS
IT IN MORE PEACEFUL WAYS.
INSTEAD WE NEED TO CHANNEL OUR
ANGER AND OUR FRUSTRATION AND
OUR PASSION INTO SUBSTANTIAL
CHANGES THAT AFFECT
COMMUNITIES. THE TRIAL IS
EXPECTED TO LAST SEVERAL WEEKS
IF NOT LONGER. THE OTHER
OFFICERS WHO WERE