A most dramatic, sad, and tense saga of the George Floyd has finally seemed come to an end, as former police officer Derek Chauvin, is found guilty on all counts: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. There is no doubt much of the nation (and the democratic world) is relieved that Chauvin will now be held accountable for the killing of George Floyd. However, Chauvin still has yet to be sentenced, which will on June 16. Until then, he is currently being held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, apparently for his own safety.
While George Floyd’s is geographically far from California, it’s still relevant when it comes to unarmed African Americans being killed by police. Despite California being mostly progressive state, we are still plagued by injustice. Stephon Clark died March of 2018 in a police shooting, unarmed. He was shot in his own backyard in Sacramento, with video recorded by both police body cams and helicopter. The two police officers who shot him faced no consequences, though the family suceeded in obtaining $2.4 million dollars from Sacramento. Stephon’s brother, Stevante Clark, responded to Chauvin’s guilty verdict. This is very important, and must pave the way for real police reform and accountability over all of America to prevent these unnecessary deaths in the first place.
“This is not justice. Justice would be that we would get our loved ones back. But this is accountability. And I’ll take that.”
Stevante Clark (via NY Times)