On April 20, 2021, the police offer who murdered George Floyd was found guilty by a jury on all three charges. This was unquestionably the verdict that the United States needed given the viral video of the murder, the protests that followed, and the solid case that the prosecution presented. This was reinforced by President Biden immediately calling the family, then delivering a speech about the verdict, calling to purge systemic racism from our country.
Do not mistake this for justice.
Justice would have been George Floyd’s appearance in court for allegedly passing a counterfeit twenty dollar bill. And even that’s questionable, since it’s only illegal if there is criminal intent. (I don’t recall ever reading whether it was determined to be a real or counterfeit bill.) If I unknowingly receive and then spend a counterfeit bill, I’m as much a victim of the counterfeiters as whoever I’m trying to hand it off to. And, as a middle-aged white woman, the odds are against someone calling the police over it; they’d probably return the bill and tell me to get it checked at the bank, then ask for a different payment option.
In two months, we’ll learn if the sentencing matches the crime, and in August, the police officers who stood by and let the murder happen will be tried. By then, we may know if this really is a turning point, as Congress debates reforming the system.
It comes too late for many, including a teenage girl in Ohio, Ma’Khia Bryant, who was shot by police shortly before the verdict was announced.
If this is going to be a turning point – and I sincerely hope it is – then more police officers must realize what those who testified for the prosecution presumably already know: you cannot serve and protect while also perpetuating injustice.