New Analysis about Officer Chauvin and the George Floyd Case

I recently watched Liz Collin's documentary, 'The Fall of Minneapolis,' which sheds light on the tragic events surrounding George Floyd's death in police custody in 2019. The documentary includes previously unreleased police body camera footage, offering a more comprehensive view of the situation. This story has reached the headlines once again because Officer Chauvin, the main Police Officer in this narrative, was stabbed 22 times in prison last week by a Black gang member saying he did so on Black Friday in honor of Black Lives Matters. Following Floyd's death, America witnessed widespread protests and unrest, with Minneapolis experiencing a wave of demonstrations, looting, fires, and attacks on law enforcement, culminating in the destruction of the Third Precinct Police station. The city's mismanagement and lack of support in protecting the police officers and the precinct during these turbulent times were evident, especially when analyzing the city’s pathetic Mayor, Jacob Frey.The details presented in the documentary are indeed startling. One striking fact often overlooked is that the main arresting officer, Alexander Kueng, was a Black cop. Moreover, of the four officers involved in restraining Floyd, two were non-White: Kueng, who is Black, and Tou Thao, who is Asian. Only Derek Chauvin and Thomas Lane were White. These officers' actions weren't motivated by Floyd's race; this narrative couldn't be further from reality. In fact, Thomas Lane attempted to administer CPR to Floyd in the ambulance, showing an effort to save his life.However, it's important to address the multifaceted context surrounding George Floyd. He had a troubled history, including drug use, a criminal record, and violent behavior. Having served five years in jail, his background was indeed complex. At the time of his arrest, he was under the influence of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The police officers' attempts to engage him were met with resistance and erratic behavior (it even appears that he was ingesting drugs in an effort to hide them). Had he obeyed the police officers, especially Officer Kueng, and not resisted arrest, he would probably be alive today. When Chauvin arrived, he and his fellow officers decided to apply the Maximum Restraint Technique (MRT) to gain control, a technique sanctioned in Minneapolis Police training materials and actually personally taught to officers of the force. Floyd's death likely resulted from a combination of his underlying cardiac condition (he had partially blocked arteries), drug ingestion, and the pressure exerted on him during the restraint. Yes, Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s back/neck for almost ten minutes according to some reports, but during this time, he and the other cops did not think this would kill him. Was it excessive force? Yes, but it appears that the other cops around Chauvin, including a BLACK cop and Asian one, did not see anything wrong with this technique and felt Floyd was safe. Now, I admit, this seems strange to me, but I am not a police officer and I was not trained in their restraining techniques. But these are the facts. While Floyd's actions and drug use didn't warrant a death sentence, it's evident that the police officers were executing their duties based on their training. However, there are critical issues to consider in terms of law enforcement approaches, especially in cases involving individuals with drug-related incidents.Society must recognize that not all individuals encountered by law enforcement are law-abiding citizens. Law enforcement officers deal with individuals engaged in sex trafficking, drug dealing (like George Floyd), violent crimes (like George Floyd), and other serious offenses. It's imperative to address such individuals firmly and protect society. However, lethal force should only be used when absolutely necessary, and there must be thorough evaluations of each situation.Regarding Derek Chauvin, the situation is intricate. While he adhered to his training, his actions could have been handled differently. I do think he could not have applied as much force as he did, but in the end, he was following his training (I think the MRT a strange technique, but it was nonetheless, taught to the officers). The trials’ outcomes might have felt unfair, especially sentencing officers who were not primarily responsible for Floyd's death and who were doing their jobs according to their training. Yes, some of their actions might be viewed as callous, like Chauvin’s apparent lack of empathy when restraining Floyd or Thao’s declarations to kids nearby to “Not do drugs,” while pointing at Floyd’s drug-induced behavior. However, once again, Floyd was high on drugs and resisting arrest and Police officers have the right to subdue such people and even use them as examples for society to learn that doing drugs and harming others is not alright. Floyd was harming others by selling them drugs, especially fentanyl which claims over 60,000 American lives per year. Floyd was a terrible person. In considering the handling of the case, it's important to note the reactions of key figures in Minneapolis. The Police Chief and African-American, Medaria Arradondo, distanced himself from Chauvin's actions, not supporting his use of the MRT technique, despite it being part of the Minneapolis Police training—in fact, he lied and said he never had seen the MRT before!!! He was indeed a coward and refused to support his other troopers, actually lying on the stand to protect his own reputation. While one might understand his behavior concerning Officer Chauvin, the way he threw Officers Kueng, Thomas, and Thoa to the dogs disgraces him as a leader and person. The Mayor, Jacob Frey, appeared to align with public sentiments, but his approach seemingly lacked leadership in ensuring balanced support for law enforcement in the city's turbulent times. His pathetic display of kneeling at Floyd’s coffin and “crying” shows he was more interested in showmanship and political points, than he was in protecting the city which was burning down around him. Both of these Minneapolis leaders have seen a depletion in the police force going from almost 1,000 officers to around 500 in four years. The officers are voting with their feet that they do not want to protect a city and put their lives on the line for their fellow citizens who treat them so poorly and will not protect them when needed. Overall, we face a broader societal issue with the erosion of respect for authority figures across various domains. The challenges faced by law enforcement are complex, demanding a nuanced approach. It's crucial to support police, address their errors constructively, and empower them to serve and protect our communities effectively. If we don’t, we will start to have more Third-World-like societies, and the rise of crime will only increase, as one is witnessing in Minneapolis, Portland, and other cities that have embraced the suicidal movement of 'defund the Police.' Good people usually always will do the right thing. Bad people, if given a chance, will usually always do the bad thing unless they have Police there to arrest them, fight them, and yes, even stop them permanently by killing them. We need to protect and support our Police and not demonize them. The cases of Chauvin, Lane, Thao, and Kueng need to be re-evaluated. Certainly, Lane, Thao, and Kueng are good people and great Americans from what I have seen. While Chauvin was edgy and has problems (just found guilty with his ex-wife of tax evasion) and probably should not be a police officer, in the end, he was once again doing his job according to his training (he had already served 19 years on the force). Is that a crime? It shouldn’t be. And should he have been afforded more protection in prison so some disgruntled inmate wouldn’t try to kill him since he was a high profiled person? Absolutely. The safeguarding of our communities rests upon the support, guidance, and fair evaluation of those who uphold law and order—anything less is a perilous step towards societal chaos. As Henry Kissinger once said, quoting Goethe, if one has a choice between order and justice, one should pick order because without order, one cannot have justice. Sadly, when reviewing the Floyd case, there was no order and there was really no justice.