DEEPEST PARTS OF THIS PROBLEM,
MUCH HAS NOT CHANGED AT ALL.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING THAT
HAS NOT CHANGED IS THE CORE OF
AMERICAS POLICING PROBLEM.
SINCE FLOYDS MURDER LAST YEAR,
AMERICAN POLICE ARE USING FORCE
AT THE EXACT SAME RATE.
THEY ARE SHOOTING AND KILLING
AMERICANS AT THE SAME RATE THIS
YEAR AS LAST YEAR.
THEYRE HEADING FOR ROUGHLY THE
SAME ANNUAL TOLL OF POLICE
KILLING A THOUSAND PEOPLE PER
YEAR.
YOU NEED TO KNOW THE DISTURBING
FACT ON YOUR SCREEN HERE.
THINK ABOUT IT.
AFTER ALL THIS PROTEST,
PRESSURE, HEAT, SCRUTINY, THE
VIDEOTAPED EVIDENCE, A MURDER
CONVICTION, THE NEW LAWS, MORE
LAWS, IF ALL THAT DOESNT EVEN
BUDGE THE RATE OF LETHAL FORCE, HOW DID THIS LETHAL FORCE COME
HOW DID THIS LETHAL FORCE COME
RUNNING DOWN THE TRENCH.
THIS CHART SHOWS AMERICAS
POLICING PROBLEM.
THIS STEADY GRIND OF KILLINGS,
INCLUDING OF MANY UNARMED PEOPLE
INCLUDING POLICE DEPARTMENTS
THEMSELVES ADMIT MISTAKES OR
TRAGEDIES, THE TAKING OF
INNOCENT LIFE.
EVERY POINT ON THIS CHART IS A
DEAD PERSON, A FAMILY GRIEVING.
NOW, EXPERTS SAY SOME OF THOSE
INCIDENTS INVOLVE JUSTIFIED USE
OF FORCE AND OTHERS DO NOT WHERE
POLICE DEPARTMENTS ADMIT.
BUT BEFORE YOU REACH THE LEGAL
QUESTION OF WHETHER THOSE ARE
CHARGEABLE MURDER, YOU HAVE TO
FACE THIS.
OUR NATION HAS TO UNDERSTAND THE
FACT OF HOW THIS GROINDSINDS ON
THE SAME RATE AS LAST YEAR
DESPITE ALL THE CALLS FOR
CHANGE.
I REPEAT EACH POINT ON THE CHART
IS A PERSON, PEOPLE ACROSS
AMERICA WHO FOUND THAT POLICE
WERE THE DANGER.
WITH MORE VIDEOS OVER THIS YEAR
SHOWING HOW POLICE USED FORCE.
WISCONSIN POLICE SHOOTING AN
UNARMED MAN, JACOB BLAKE, IN THE BACK SEVEN TIMES PARALYZING HIM
BACK SEVEN TIMES PARALYZING HIM
FOR LIFE.
CALIFORNIA POLICE.
OR BACK NEAR GEORGE FLOYDS
COMMUNITY, MINNESOTA POLICE
KILLING AN UNARMED FATHER, DONTE
WRIGHT, IN HIS CAR.
OR LAST MONTH HE APPEARED TO
DRIVE AWAY FROM HIM.
POLICE CLAIM THEY FEARED FOR
THEIR LIVES.
BUT THE VIDEO SHOWED IT WAS
BROWN WHO FEARED FOR HIS AND
LOST HIS.
THOSE ARE JUST FOUR POINTS ON
THIS CHART.
THE SPECIAL POWERS OF IMMUNITIES
THE POLICE ENJOY IN AMERICA HAS
NOT CHANGED THIS YEAR.
CONSIDER POLICE IMMUNITY IN
UNIONS.
A HANDFUL OF STATES AS MENTIONED
DID REVERSE IMMUNITY, BUT THE
NORMAL SHIELDING POLICE FROM
ACCOUNTABILITY IN CRIMINAL AND
SEVERAL COURT, THE IMMUNITY
ENDING MOST POTENTIAL CASES
AGAINST POLICE BEFORE THEY
BEGIN.
SO MOST OFFICERS NEVER FACE A
PUBLIC CIVIL TRIAL ABOUT ALLEGED
MISCONDUCT, LET ALONE A
CONVICTION.
AND SPECIAL IMMUNITY FOR POLICE
IS SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST MADE
UP BY JUDGES PROVIDING WHATS
BECOME AN ABSOLUTE SHIELD AS
JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR EXPLAINED IN
THE DISSENT ABOUT THE DOCTRINE.
SHE SAYS IT ENCOURAGES POLICE TO
SHOOT FIRST AND THINK BETTER.
THOSE ARE FORTIFIED BY POLICE
UNIONS HUGE ONGOING POWER THAT
GOES BEYOND LABOR RIGHTS.
THEY CAN ERASE DISCIPLINARY
RECORDS, ACCESS TO INVEST GUY
TIFF MERL
-- INVESTIGATIVE MATERIALS.
AN ISSUE SHOWED BY THE SYSTEM
THAT CODDLED AND PROTECTED THE
PERSON WHO KILLED FLOYD.
MANY CITIZENS PREVIOUSLY TRIED
TO BLOW THE WHISTLE ON THE
DANGER HE POSED, OVER 17 KNOWN
MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS.
BUT MOST WERE SCRUBBED FROM HIS
FILE.
HE FACED SCANT DISCIPLINE, LET
ALONE ANY PUBLIC LAWSUIT.
MINNEAPOLIS FINDS EVEN CREDIBLE
CONCERNS THAT DONT END IN
PUNISHMENT ARE SCRUBBED FROM AN
OFFICERS RECORD BECAUSE THE
POLICE UNIONS DEMAND IT.
THESE PROTECTED CHAUVIN AT GREAT
RISK TO THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER THING THAT HASNT
CHANGED, MOST PROSECUTORS STILL
OPERATE WITH STRUCTURAL
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND SEC
KRESY FOR THEIR POLICE
COLLEAGUES.
SO POLICE CASES INVOLVING DAS
HAVING TO INVESTIGATE THEIR OWN
SHOPS, WHICH RARELY WORKS.
THAT PROBLEM ON DISPLAY LAST
WEEK WHEN A DA CLEARED OFFICERS
OF ANY WRONGDOING DESPITE VIDEO
OF WHERE HE SHOT A MAN TO DEATH.
THE DA FLATLY ADMITTING HE WOULD
HIDE BODY CAM VIDEO, RELEASING
ONLY CLIPS THAT HE THOUGHT
HELPED THE POLICE.
>> SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A
DISPLAY.
IM NOT RELEASING THE VIDEO.
>> CAN YOU REPLAY THE VIDEO?
>> IM NOT GOING TO.
>> CAN THE MEDIA GET THE VIDEO
YOU HAD IN THE PRESENTATION?
>> ANY OTHER RELEASE OF THIS
WILL BE DONE THROUGH THE COURTS.
>> WHEN HE SAYS THROUGH THE
COURTS, HE MEANS HE WONT
RELEASE THE ACCURATE VIDEO
EVIDENCE OF WHAT THE POLICE DID
UNLESS A JUDGE MAKES IT ILLEGAL
FOR HIM TO KEEP HIDING IT.
THAT SOUNDS BACKWARDS WHEN IT
COMES TO JUSTICE.
THATS BECAUSE IT IS.
NOW, JUDGES OFTEN DEFER TO
PROSECUTORS BECAUSE THE IDEA IS
THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW TO
BEST TRY THEIR CASES.
BUT THIS IS STRUCTURAL.
EVEN AN HONEST MAN CANT BE
EXPECTED TO TRY AN AGGRESSIVE
CASE AGAINST HIMSELF OR HIS BEST
FRIENDS, IN THIS CASE HIS DAILY
PLACE COLLEAGUES.
THATS WHY ITS STRUCTURAL.
SO YOU TAKE IT ALTOGETHER.
WHERE ARE WE ON THIS ANNIVERSARY
RIGHT NOW?
THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD DID
SPARK A MOVEMENT.
AND THAT MOVEMENT DID ACHIEVE
MEASURABLE CHANGE AT THE LEVEL
OF THE INDIVIDUAL CASE, AS I
REPORTED FOR YOU TONIGHT, AND
SOME POLICY REFORM.
THAT IS REAL.
THE MOVEMENT EARNED WIDER
SUPPORT AS PEOPLE SAW THE FACTS
OF WHAT POLICE DID TO FLOYD AND
OTHERS ON VIDEO.
YOU COULD SEE IT RISING.
BUT THEN LOOK AT TIME WORE ON.
NOW MANY AMERICANS TURNING AWAY
FROM SUPPORT FOR BLACK LIVES
MATTER GOING BACK TO WHERE THEY
WERE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WELL, EVEN AMERICANS WHO SAID
THEY SUPPORTED REFORM LAST
SUMMER ARE EAGER TO MOVE ON TO
TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, TO
THINK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, TO
CLAIM MAYBE THINGS GOT A LITTLE
BETTER SO NOW ITS TIME TO MOVE
ON.
OKAY. THAT MAY SOUND APPEALING TO SOME
THAT MAY SOUND APPEALING TO SOME
PEOPLE, TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
BUT IT IS WRONG BECAUSE WHAT HAS
NOT CHANGED IS THE STEADY RATE
OF POLICE BILLINGS.
AN EPIDEMIC THAT SHOWS WHY SO
MANY AMERICANS CANNOT JUST MOVE
ON, BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN PLACES
WHERE THESE KILLINGS ARE
ROUTINE, A SCARY PART OF DAILY
LIFE, A DANGER NEVER ERADICATED,
RARELY LEGALLY PUNISHED, A RISK
WITH NO GUARANTEE OF ESCAPE,
EVEN IF YOU FOLLOW EVERY RULE
AND GET A GOOD JOB, BUY A HOME
AND BECOME A PARENT, EVEN IF YOU
AVOID EVER OWNING A WEAPON
DESPITE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT TO HAVE ONE BECAUSE THIS
IS A NATION WHERE YOU CAN GET
KILLED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AFTER
BEING ACCUSED OF JAYWALKING OR
WALKING TOWARDS YOUR OWN KIDS IN
YOUR OWN CAR OR FACING WHAT IS A
PEACEFUL ACCUSATION OR WORSE YOU
ARE ACCUSED OF USING A COUNTER
FIT BILL.
THIS IS A NATION WHERE THE
SUPPOSED ORDER THAT SUPPOSEDLY
BENEFITS SOME OF US COMES AT THE
IMMORAL COST OF ROUTINELY
KILLING OTHERS OF US, OTHER
PEOPLE, HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE
UNARMED, WHO ARE NOT DANGEROUS,
WHO ARE EXECUTED ON THE SPOT.
SO UNTIL THAT CHANGES, IT WONT
FEEL LIKE MUCH IS CHANGING.
THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR AUTOMATIC
PESSIMISM OR HOPELESSNESS, NOR
IS IT A TIME TO OVERLY CELEBRATE
THAT SOME STEPS TOWARDS A
FAIRNESS LONG OVERDUE AND LONG
DENIED AS NOW BEEN TAKEN.
ITS BEEN A YEAR.
THIS IS A TIME FOR REALITY AND
FACTS.
AND IF THE FACTS MAKE YOU ANGRY,