‘I share your outrage.’ Sacramento, state leaders speak out against George Floyd’s death

The national reaction to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after an intense encounter with police was swift.

Leaders have resoundingly denounced the actions of the Minneapolis police officers, one of whom knelt on the neck of George Floyd for minutes while Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe.”

On Friday, after three nights of dramatic and violent protests in the Twin Cities and elsewhere — from Los Angeles to Louisville to Phoenix — the white officer seen over the pinned black man who later died, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged.

Floyd, 46, died shortly after Minneapolis Police officers detained him Monday on suspicion of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis reported. Cellphone video of the incident spread quickly across the internet and showed Floyd struggling to breathe as Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes.

Chauvin and three officers involved in the incident were fired by Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo earlier this week.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg spoke up Friday, saying, “To all Sacramentans outraged by the needless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as your mayor, I share your outrage. The way he died, while pleading for his life, is sickening and tells a story too often experienced by African Americans throughout our nation’s history.”

“We have made real progress in Sacramento borne from our own painful experience,” he wrote in a social media post. “From police officer to community leader to caring resident, let us protest this injustice peacefully and let us continue to change, to heal, and to seek justice for Mr. Floyd, his family and his community.”

Chancellor Gary May of UC Davis also issued a statement Thursday, saying “Needless to say, these tragedies hit my family and me hard. I know it’s touched a deep nerve with many of you as well . . . The events of this week also cause me to believe even more strongly, if that’s possible, in building an inclusive environment that recognizes and respects people of all backgrounds and experiences.”

“I remain committed to that and hope you will do what you can to eliminate racism, sexism, and other negative influences on our progression as a nation,” he added.

Police officials, union denounce killing

The president of the Sacramento Police Officer’s Association, Tim Davis, also added his voice to the chorus of police unions and other law enforcement organizations nationwide unequivocally outraged by the killing.

“We add the voices of Sacramento police officers to those of police officers across this nation condemning the actions of the officers in Minneapolis,” he said. “We understand that there is much anger in the community, and we join you in your anger.”

The leaders of the largest police departments in the country have openly spoken against the officer at the center of the video, and have been critical of not only Chauvin’s tactics but of the inaction of fellow officers.

That included New York City’s Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, who called the actions “deeply disturbing,” and Michel Moore, Los Angeles’ police chief, who said the actions of the officers “doesn’t just tarnish our badge — it tears at the very fabric of race relations in this country.”

So far, Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn has not publicly addressed Floyd’s killing. The department did not respond to multiple requests for comment this week from Hahn.

Chief Darren Pytel of the Davis Police Department and Chief Joe Farrow of the UC Davis Police Department issued a joint statement Thursday addressing the feelings sweeping the country.

“An entire country suffered deep wounds on the streets of Minneapolis,” they said. “We are all profoundly saddened and our hearts are broken. We want the entire Davis and UC Davis Community to know that what we saw was unacceptable and that we train and demand our officers do much better.”

The International Association of Police Chiefs, which represents chiefs of numerous law enforcement agencies across the country also issued a statement after the firing of the officers, questioning their actions.

“It is the responsibility of police leaders to hold officers accountable for incidents when use-of-force is not aligned with agency policy or appropriate to the given circumstance,” said Steven Casstevens, president of the association in a statement. “As police leaders, we must be willing to question and denounce actions that are wrong so to continue to build trust within our communities.”

Newsom: America needs to ‘wake up’

Before beginning his discussion of coronavirus updates, California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Floyd’s killing and the conversation he had with his children about the incident.

His 10-year-old daughter had watched a video of Floyd’s death on TikTok and wanted to make sure he saw it. His son, 8, said Floyd’s death was “worse than wrong,” because “bad people are supposed to be bad, but good people are supposed to be good.” Newsom’s 4-year-old said “that’s not right ... police officers are good people” and ran away. His daughter left in tears.

“(It is) not lost on me the privilege of that conversation,” he said. “Not lost on me the privilege of being governor, the privilege of my background, the privilege my kids have in terms of their upbringing, the fact that they’re white.”

Passing laws is not enough, Newsom said. Rather, he said, the current moment calls for a cultural change that prioritizes care, empathy and collaboration over power, dominance and aggression. He also called for the country to “wake up” to structural racism and the need for fundamental institutional reform, especially in the criminal justice system.

Newsom noted that one year ago Friday, the California assembly passed AB 392 — a landmark bill that redefined justified police use of force. But Californians and the country at large need to “do more and do better,” he said.

He also reflected on another video of a black man’s arrest by police in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa captured Wednesday evening — an incident that he said reflects the “totality” of the issues raised by George Floyd’s death. The involved officer in that case has been placed on leave, pending departmental review.

Other prominent California lawmakers denounced the killing, even describing officers’ actions as murder.

“We did see a murder on TV, and it wasn’t self-defense,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. She stopped short of calling for charges but strongly suggested the officers be held criminally accountable.

Sen. Kamala Harris did, calling for the officers’ arrests Friday morning.

“Our country has a long history of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, segregation, and discrimination,” she wrote on Twitter. “The injustices of the past live on in our institutions today. We need systemic change. Black Americans are fed up. The officer who killed George Floyd must be arrested for murder.”

Protest in Sacramento tonight

Peaceful demonstrations took place in Sacramento on Wednesday night and are planned for Friday evening in Oak Park and Saturday morning at the state Capitol.

“I’ve had enough of continuously watching traumatic videos of black men, black women, and black children dying at the hands of those who say they’re supposed to protect and serve,” activist Berry Accius, who was at Wednesday’s protest, said in a news conference Friday. “I’ve had enough of victims having to fight for their justice being in a casket.”

Organized by Black Lives Matter Sacramento, Friday night’s protest is planned for 6 at Oak Park Market, 3300 12th Ave.

This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 12:45 PM.