Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says he will never forget watching George Floyd's final moments caught on cellphone video on May 25, 2020.
“Well, I remember looking at that video for the first time, maybe around for 4:45, 5:00 in the morning, and just being absolutely shocked by how long it went on. I watched it. I watched it again. And I watched it again. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. And listening to the people on the tape calling for some measure of mercy which was ignored.”
At the request of Governor Tim Walz, Ellison took over the criminal cases involving former Minneapolis police officers, Derek Chauvin, Thomas, Lane, J. Alexander King and Tou Thao, just days after Floyd's death.
Last year Chauvin was found guilty on state charges of unintentional second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter. He later pled guilty in Federal Court to violating Floyd's civil rights.
Ellison says it's clear that the jurors at the Chauvin state trial, and the Federal trial of Lane, King and Thao, fairly evaluated the evidence.
“It's important to bear in mind that the federal conviction of the three individuals who helped Chauvin, those jurors heard all the evidence and made the decision,” says Ellison. “I just think that the jury is going to look at what to look at with these cases and evaluate them fairly. So I think that even if Congress will not act, juries will.”
Ellison urges Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act to address policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability, adding that it shouldn't take another death at the hands of police to see true change.
“Why not just say we're not going to let officers who have committed horrific acts in one department, just go to another department,” says Ellison. “We're going to put a stop to that kind of thing. What if we were to say that, once you get 10, 12 excessive force complaints, you're going to have to check in with the chief and maybe assess whether policing is the right job for you.”
Ellison adds it's clear that police remain under the microscope two years after Floyd's murder, but he believes there's an opportunity to showcase police officers who are doing well in their communities.
“Chauvin did a lot of damage to the image of policing. It's our job to remember that most police get out there every day, risk their lives to save others. And this is a very important thing to remember.”
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