Minnesota, and National Report

It’s sad that our state is the focal point for so much consternation in this nation. We have now justifiably convicted two police officers for killing people while in uniform, Mohamed Noor and now Derek Chauvin. The key evidence in both instances was video footage. This means the conviction occurred because other people saw what they did and they couldn’t cover it up or the Blue Shield didn’t circle the wagons.

As we wrote this piece, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a probe by the Department of Justice into the procedures and practices of the Minneapolis Police Department.

As we look past the Chauvin trial onto the trials of J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, we will see if aiding and abetting to the crime of 2nd Degree murder, can hold up when the jury pool has clearly been affected by the Chauvin proceedings. The next trials in August will have the same information, but because Chauvin was the senior officer he will likely be scapegoated by the defense of the others.

Noor was convicted because he fired at Justine Damond indiscriminately, Chauvin because he was vicious and cruel, but what about Kim Potter? She was the training officer called out Taser numerous times and then drew her service weapon. Will a white woman get the same response as a Muslim black male and a white oppressor, we doubt it?

In the press conference following Potter’s Chief Tim Gangnon referred to her shooting as “An Accidental Discharge.” Why because she doesn’t know her left from her right hand?

If guns are not used as a last resort and cops who swore to protect and serve don’t start upholding their oaths we will never get past this smear on our country. The racial divide is vast, these killings show a great diversity in their incidences and show the pink underbelly of our society and its vulnerabilities. Rescinding the qualified immunity provision that protects law enforcement from prosecution is a good start.

All law enforcement should be put under the microscope and anytime a shot is fired by a police officer it is a failure in the performance of their duty. Remove the warrior mentality, the shoot first, ask questions later and remove the qualified immunity for law enforcement. Make cops live under the same laws as everyone else, live in the communities they work and get them out of their cars and back on the street where they should belong.