‘We’re trying to heal’: 2 police leaders react to George Floyd video and talk solutions
Tuesday marks one week since the harrowing video of George Floyd pinned to the ground beneath a Minneapolis police officer’s knee went viral on social media. As activists call for the arrest of the other officers who were on the scene, police nationwide — who in the past have sometimes rallied behind officers accused of using excessive force or shooting suspects without good cause — are lining up to denounce what some are frankly calling “murder.”
Video Transcript
- No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!
JERRY CLAYTON: My name's Jerry Clayton. I'm the Washtenaw County Sheriff on the-- that's Ann Arbor, Michigan. So the-- the video, like many instances of violence, is-- is really disturbing and unsettling. And-- and as an African-American that's spent now over half a century on this planet, it-- it just brings back all the-- the trauma and fear and anxiety that we face day to day because there is no guarantee that you won't run into the wrong person on the wrong day, and-- and it may end your life.
JOSEPH D. WYSOCKI: My name's Joe Wysocki. I'm chief of the Camden County Police Department here in Camden, New Jersey. It-- it was horrific. I-- I was waiting for, like, someone to push the officer off, like, the-- is what I was waiting for. And I was listen-- listening to the people pleading with the officers, like, to do something, and-- and, like, they were-- they were the ones that were reasonable. Like, they-- they were really giving good advice, like, to the officers to-- to stop this. And it never occurred, and-- and we watched a murder, like, unfold.
Like, this wasn't a split second decision that, like, that you can Monday morning quarterback, like, that happened, like, within a second. This was seven to-- to nine minutes. Like, it-- it was disgusting to see, to-- to be honest. Like, it was-- it was horrific. Every good cop in the country is outraged by that video. Every cop is outraged. And if that doesn't bother you, like, that there's-- like, you-- you got to look in the mirror with what you see.
JERRY CLAYTON: And it's not just enough to hire an African-American. You have to hire African-Americans that have the courage to stand up against what we know is wrong. I-- and I don't want you on my team just because you look like me. I want you on my team because you look like me, because we share philosophy, and you have the courage to-- to stand up.
JOSEPH D. WYSOCKI: We had word on Friday that there was going to be two different protests on Saturday. So the-- I contacted the clergy. Some members came in. Our captain reached out to the organizers and had them come in, and we were able to work out that we were going to have one protest, the march. Like, they wanted to hear from the clergy as-- as well, so that was important. So then I asked the clergy, I said, would it be OK if I marched? And they were like, yeah. And I-- I was-- I was like, all right.
So the-- I went on Saturday, and, like, we-- our officers were excited to-- to go out. But at the same time, we didn't know how we were going to be received because tensions are high, and rightfully so. Like, it's-- it's horrible what happened. This isn't just about Mr. Floyd's incident. There's outrage over it, but this is-- this is going back a long time, you know? And so when I went out there, I-- I seen the organizer Yolanda. And I walked up to her, and I said-- I asked her, I says, is it OK that I march with you? And she said yes.
JERRY CLAYTON: And I'm not scared to engage my people, both the people that look like me and the people of our organization, and say, I'm trying to do-- we're trying to do the best we can. I-- I think the lesson for agencies are, you have to step up and step out. Tell the-- the public, look, we know you want a fast decision. We know you want immediate justice, and we want to get that for you. But-- but justice is, let's gather all the factual information, present it to the right people so they can make the right decision. And the other thing is, I want to-- I want to make sure I give you as much information as possible so you're not guessing or think I'm hiding something.
JOSEPH D. WYSOCKI: We developed another-- a new policy, and, like, we require more of our officers, where de-escalation is in the policy, the sanctity of life. And the big one in this case with-- with George Floyd is-- is demanding to intervene. It-- it's not an option if, like-- and there was a video I seen last night of a-- a cop that had kneeled on someone's neck, and the other cop grabbed his knee and moved it. That-- that cop did what he was supposed to do. We're trying-- trying to heal. Like, it-- it was horrible what happened last week for Mr. Floyd, and I-- I feel for his family, you know? So, like, we-- we marched for him.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
