The tragic slaying of George Floyd occurred on May 25, 2020, but the circumstances leading to this brutal incident may really have begun in 2001, reportedly the year the accused police officer submitted his application to the Minneapolis Police Department.
Was his candidacy ever vetted and his opinion of sensitive subjects pursued? Who administered a necessary and qualified psychological review? What was the extent and nature of his training? Was there an expected need for continual review of his conduct?
Who were his supervisors, shift and divisional commanders during that time when he amassed 18 complaints, reports reflecting a number of serious occasions? Not to forget the complaints brought out during his moonlight job as a bouncer at a local night club.
Who were the mayors of Minneapolis during that time? Who were the police chiefs? Who allowed such an extensive complaint list to grow without calling a halt to this individual's right to carry a weapon? Who approved his second job at that nightclub?
The prosecutor will put all four of the offending police officers on trial and they eventually face well-deserved punishment. But what about all those persons in charge during those 19 years?
No, they weren't there when George Floyd was subject to the criminal conduct that caused his death. But had those in charge fulfilled their administrative and professional responsibilities, neither would that particular police officer have ever been at that place where George Floyd met his end.
James Oshust, Millcreek
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