EVERY NIGHT I STAY UP
APOLOGIZING, APOLOGIZING TO
GEORGE FLOYD FOR NOT DOING MORE.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE CEO OF
THE ROBIN HOOD, ORGANIZATION,
ONE OF THE LARGEST ANTI-POVERTY
ORGANIZATIONS.
I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
THIS TRIAL AND CASE.
IT MUST HAVE TAKEN COURAGE FOR
SOMEONE WHO WAS 17, TO STAND UP
AGAINST THESE OFFICERS, SHE TOOK
OUT HER CELL PHONE AND VIDEOED
AND SHE BECAME KEY TO THIS.
>> SHE IS ONE OF THE HEROES OF
THIS.
LISTENING TO HER WORDS AND
LISTENING TO AT THE EMOTION IN
HER VOICE, I CAN’T HELP BUT
THINK ABOUT MY SISTERS AND MY
MOM AND MY WIFE.
HEARING HER TALK ABOUT THIS
INJUSTICE THAT SHE WAS WATCHING
RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER EYES, THAT
TYPE OF WEIGHT, THAT TYPE OF
TRAUMA, IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT
JUST GOING TO BE WEIGHTED ON
HER, BUT FRANKLY, HAS BEEN
WEIGHTED ON A LOT OF PEOPLE
BEFOREHAND.
THAT’S WHY HEARING THOSE WORDS
ARE SO EMOTIONAL FOR A LOT OF
US.
EVERY TIME WE HEAR NOT JUST HER
WORDS, BUT THE EMOTION BEHIND
IT.
>> IS THIS JUSTICE FOR ALL OR IS
THIS VERDICT JUST A RARE EXAMPLE
OF ACCOUNTABILITY?
>> I THINK THIS VERDICT IS
PUTTING US ON AN ENCOURAGING
PATH TOWARDS A LARGER SET OF
JUSTICE MEASURES THAT NEED TO
TAKE PLACE.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS LISTENING
TO THAT VERDICT READ, I GOT
INCREDIBLY EMOTIONAL JUST
HEARING AND WATCHING THE VERDICT
READ, WATCHING THE FLOYD FAMILY.
IT DID HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, THAT
SOMETHING THAT FEELS SO -- IT
WAS THE ONLY JUST ANSWER FOR
WHAT WE SAW, THAT THE NATURAL
VERDICT FELT SHOCKING.
THAT’S WHERE WE ARE.
AND SO YOU DO FEEL THIS
TREMENDOUS SENSE OF RELIEF THAT
WOULD WE SAW IN THIS CASE, THAT WE REACHED THE ONLY JUST
WE REACHED THE ONLY JUST
CONCLUSION THAT WE COULD, BUT
ITSIT
ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT OF HOW
MUCH FURTHER WE NEED TO GO AND
HOW LONG THAT MARCH IS TO TRUE
JUSTICE WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAY
THAT ALL COMMUNITIES ARE VIEWED
IN OUR SOCIETY AND THE ROLE OF
POLICING COMMUNITY.
>> AND HOW UNUSUAL IT IS TO SEE
A POLICE CHIEF WHERE OTHER
OFFICERS TESTIFIED FOR THE
PROSECUTION AGAINST A DEFENDANT.
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WAS SO JARRING, TO ME,
ANDUJARING TO SO MANY OF US.
FIRST OF ALL, THE FACT WE GOT A
CHANCE TO SEE IT.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAD THE
CHANCE TO BE IN THE JURY BOX AND
WATCH THE ENTIRE TRIAL.
BUT ALSO, WHEN YOU WERE
WATCHING -- WHEN YOU WERE
WATCHING LAW ENFORCEMENT,
WATCHING THE ULTIMATE BOSS, THE
POLICE COMMISSIONER COME IN AND
SAY THIS IS NOT POLICING.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ARE TRAINED
TO DO, NOT APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR.
I AM A MILITARY PERSON AND THERE
IS A MANTRA WE LIVE BY THAT YOU
WILL NOT LIE, CHEAT, STEAL OR
TOLERATE THOSE THAT DO.
THE LAST PIECE IS OFTEN MISSED.
THE FACT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS WERE SAYING I CANNOT
TOLERATE INJUSTICE WHEN I SEE
IT, CANNOT TOLERATE VIOLATION OF
LAW WHEN I SEE IT.
IT WAS EMPOWERING FOR OUR
COMMUNITY AND SHOWED THAT AS WE
HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT
REINVENTING RELATIONSHIP THROUGH
COMMUNITY, THAT THAT’S A
CONVERSATION THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT SHOULDN’T ONLY BE IN
THE CONVERSATION, BUT LAW
ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE HELPING TO
LEAD IN THAT CONVERSATION AS
WELL.
>> AND IT INVOLVES NOT JUST
TRAINING -- THE OFFICER IN
BROOKLYN CENTER WAS TRAINED, SHE
WAS A TRAINER.
BUT IT INVOLVES A PSYCHOLOGICAL
TEST.
>> THAT’S RIGHT EX-.
WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON TRAINING.
HOW DO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
FOCUS ON DEESCALATION, BUT ONE
OF THE WAYS IS TO THINK HARD AND
CRITICALLY ABOUT SITUATIONS YOU
ARE INTRODUCING LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS INTO.
I KNOW AS FORMER MILITARY, WHEN
WE SHOWED UP WITH OUR KEVLAR, I
KNOW BY DEFINITION OUR PRESENCE
ESCALATED THE SITUATION.
BY DEFINITION.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRAINING
OFFICERS TO DEESCALATE, THAT’S
IMPORTANT.
BUT IT ALSO MEANS WHAT ARE THE
MECHANISMS AND TOOLS WE ARE
INTRODUCING THAT THROUGH
DEESCALATION ACTION CAN TAKE
PLACE.
WE ARE HEARING THAT NOT ONLY
FROM ADVOCATES AND LAWMAKERS AS
WE WATCH EVERYTHING FROM THE
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE AND
POLICING ACT WHICH IS AN
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ACTION TO
BE PASSED, BUT NOT EVERYTHING IN
SOCIETY REQUIRES A POLICE
RESPONSE.
THAT HAS TO BE PART OF THAT
DEESCALATION CONVERSATION.
>> THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS
ANNOUNCED REVERSAL OF THE TRUMP
POLICIES, THEY ARE OPENING
INVESTIGATE OF THE POLICIES IN MINNEAPOLIS.
BUT MAREKERREK GARLAND, WE HEARD
TODAY MITCH McCONNELL TALK ABOUT
THAT.
>> AS A RESIDENT MUCH A CITY
THAT HAD THAT CONSENT DECREE
ADJUSTED UNDER THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, WE SAW WHAT THE
IMPASSE
IMPASSE OF THAT ACTUALLY WAS.
WE SAW AFTER THE MURDER OF
FREDDY GRAY, WAS THAT BALTIMORE,
BECAUSE OF THE PRACTICES THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD AGAINST
BLACK RESIDENTS OF BALTIMORE.
THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS IS
REAL.
IT IS REAL NOT JUST BECAUSE OF
WHAT WE SAW WITH FRED RI GRAYDY
BALTIMORE, BUT YOU ALSO HAD
ANTHONY ANDERSON AND CHRIS BROWN
AND TYRONE WEST.
SO YOU SAW THESE PATTERNS THAT
WE NEED TO HAVE A LARGER SENSE
OF INVESTIGATION AND A LARGER
SENSE OF EXPLORATION INTO WHAT
IS HAPPENING AND HOW TO FIX IT.
THE FACT WE HAD THE DOJ GETTING
INVOLVED IN THIS, THIS IS THE
RIGHT AND PROPER RESPONSE THAT