A group of 14 Minneapolis Police Department officers is disowning Derek Michael Chauvin, 44, who is charged with African-American man George Floyd‘s murder. The officers wrote a public letter, which was issued on June 11, 2020.
“Like us, Derek Chauvin took an oath to hold the sanctity of life most precious,” the officers wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Derek Chauvin failed as a human and stripped George Floyd of his dignity and life. This is not who we are.”
In the letter, the officers expressed how they wholeheartedly condemn Chauvin. They also informed the citizens of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States that they work with them and for them to regain their trust.
On May 25, 2020, Floyd died while in the custody of Chauvin and his fellow former Minneapolis Police Department officers Tou Thao, 34, Thomas Lane, 37, and J Alexander Kueng, 26. Black Lives Matter protesters not only in the U.S. but also in other countries are crying for justice while the world is still dealing with the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On June 10, 2020, Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo announced that he was halting contract negotiations with the Police Officers’ Federation of Minneapolis. The officers who wrote the letter clarified that the letter does not represent the federation.
“We are leaders, formal and informal, and from all ranks within the Minneapolis Police Department,” the officers wrote. “We’re not the union or the administration.”
“We are officers who represent the voices of hundreds of other Minneapolis Police Officers,” the officers continued. “Hundreds. We acknowledge that Chief Arradondo needs each of us to dutifully follow him while he shows us the way.”
The letter was signed by some of the most prominent and respected Minneapolis Police Department officers. Here are the signees:
- Cmdr. Charlie Adams
- Lt. Mark Klukow
- Mike Kirchen
- Lt. Rick Zimmerman
- Sgt. Darcy Klund
- John Delmonico
- Christie Nelson
- Nick Torborg
- Pete Stanton
- Gary Nelson
- Rich Jackson
- Mohamed Abdullahi
- Molly Fischer
- Steve McCarty
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