TO SERVING AND PROTECTING THIS
COMMUNITY WITH FAIRNESS AND
DIGNITY.
CRAIG.
>> MORGAN RADFORD, THANK YOU.
SHERIFF CHRISTOPHER SWANSON, THE
SHERIFF OF GENESEE COUNTY
MARCHING ALONGSIDE THE
PROTESTERS, HE JOINS MY NOW.
SHERIFF, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, SIR.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SHERIFF, ON SATURDAY, DID YOU
HAVE IT IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU
GOT THERE, AS YOU AND YOUR MEN
WERE GETTING READY, THAT YOU
WOULD LAY DOWN YOUR HELMET, LAY
DOWN YOUR BATON AND MARCH
ALONGSIDE PROTESTERS OR WAS THAT
A SPONTANEOUS DECISION.
>> IT WAS A SPONTANEOUS
DECISION.
WITH ALL THE AGENCIES THERE,
FLINT TOWNSHIP, TO LEAD FOR THAT
AREA IT MADE THE MOST SENSE.
WHEN I SAW THE CROWD AND FELT
THE FRUSTRATION AND THE FACT WE
WERE ONLY ACCELERATING THE
ISSUE, IT WAS TIME TO TAKE THE
HELMET OFF, GO TO THE SHOT
CALLER, THE LEAD ORGANIZER, GIVE
HIM A BIG OLD FAT HUG AND SAY
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO.
THAT WAS THE TENSION BREAKER.
THE NEXT QUESTION WAS THE ONE
THAT MADE HISTORY.
>> WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE FROM
THOSE DEMONSTRATORS, PROTESTERS,
WHAT DID THEY SAY TO YOU?
>> THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I
THOUGHT.
WHEN I LOOKED AT THE LEAD
ORGANIZER AND SAID, LISTEN, THAT
GUY IS NOT WHO COPS ARE.
THESE POLICE OFFICERS LOVE YOU.
WE DON’T ACCEPT THAT.
WE’RE HORRIFIED.
THEY SAID THE CROWD NEEDS TO
HEAR IT.
I SAID GET THE CROWD.
WHEN THE CROWD KIND OF TURNED,
AND THEY HAD ALREADY HAD A FIST
PUMP WITH ANOTHER OFFICER, A
HUG, THEY WERE OPENING TO JUST
LISTENING TO WHAT WE HAD TO SAY.
WHEN I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE
DON’T CONDONE THAT, THAT’S NOT
WHO COPS ARE, THE SECOND
QUESTION IS WHAT ELSE DO YOU
NEED.
THAT’S WHEN THE CROWD SHOUTED
WALK WITH US.
IN A SECOND THAT TURN OF EVENTS
HAPPENED WHEN I SAID, LET’S
WALK.
YOU SAW AN ENTIRE CROWD’S MIND
AND HEARTS CHANGE BECAUSE THEY
WANTED TO BE HEARD.
THE PROTESTERS, HAD THEY NOT
LISTENED TO THE MESSAGE, WE
WOULDN’T BE TALKING.
THEY WERE AS MUCH A PART OF THAT
NIGHT MAKING HISTORY IN FLINT
THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
DAY TWO, NO ARRESTS, NO FIRES,
NO INJURIES.
>> SHERIFF, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT STRUCK ME WHEN I SAW THAT
VIDEO, THAT’S ONE OF THOSE
SITUATIONS THAT COULD HAVE GONE
A WHOLE OTHER WAY AS YOU DECIDED
TO LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND THE
PROTESTERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE
SITUATION.
THEY DID NOT DO THAT.
>> RIGHT.
>> AS YOU LOOK AT THE PROTESTS
AROUND THIS COUNTRY, PROTESTS,
MANY OF WHICH HAVE TURNED
VIOLENT, YOU’VE GOT A NUMBER OF
PUBLIC OFFICIALS, LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SAYING THE
SOLUTION RIGHT NOW IS TO CRACK
DOWN ON THESE DEMONSTRATORS.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION.
TO YOUR FIRST POINT, IT WAS
PROBABLY THE WORST TACTICAL
DECISION I COULD MAKE BY TAKING
OFF ALL THE PROTECTION AND GOING
INTO THE CROWD BUT THE BENEFIT
FAR OUTWEIGHED THE RISK.
I’M NOT TRYING TO BE MACHO OR A
HERO.
THAT WAS THE BEST DECISION TO
SHOW I’M NOT GOING TO CREATE A
DIVIDE.
I’M GOING TO SHOW VULNERABILITY
AND WALK IN THE CROWD AND MAKE
THE FIRST MOVE.
TO YOUR SECOND POINT, MY HEART
BREAKS FOR THE CITY.
IT BREAKS FOR D.C. AND NEW YORK
AND L.A. AND MINNEAPOLIS AND
GREAT CITIES HAVE BEEN BUILT BY
GREAT PEOPLE.
SO I CAN’T ANSWER WHAT THE NEXT
BEST DECISION IS EXCEPT FOR LAY
DOWN YOUR ARMS.
POLICE AND PROTESTERS HAVE TO
WORK TOGETHER TO SAY LET’S TAKE
A NIGHT OF CALM AND FIND OUT
WHAT’S HAPPENING.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS.
CREATE THE CONVERSATION THAT
MAKES THE CHANGE.
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT CHANGE.
CHANGES COMES WITH ACTION.
I’VE GOT TO BELIEVE THERE’S
FOLKS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT
WANT PEACE AND WANT ACTION.
MAN, I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR POLICE
OFFICERS INJURED, PEOPLE THAT
HAVE BEEN KILLED, CITIES THAT
HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.
IT’S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
I SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING LIKE THE
WORLD DOES, AND IT BREAKS OUR
HEART.
THERE HAS TO BE A FIRST MOVE.
THERE HAS TO BE A FIRST STEP.
THAT HAS TO COME FROM BOTH
SIDES.
>> SHERIFF CHRISTOPHER SWANSON.
SHERIFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXAMPLE ON
SATURDAY AS WELL, SIR.