A Few Bad Apples

Graphics in this post are not meant for everyone. If this was a movie it would be rated R or NC-17. Fair warning.

Today, June 7 2020 is not a pretty day, but it began on May 25, 2020 when George Floyd was killed in custody after passing a fake $20 bill at a grocery store.

George was unforunately committing a crime, while under the influence of fentanyl. However, regardless of those crimes - was death an acceptable resolution?

Obviously not, the story paints a picture where a Mr. Floyd does not want to enter the police vehicle due to claustrophobia, but to be honest is probably just the abundance of drugs in his system messing with his head.

This is where the situation goes pretty dark, the officers pin him to the ground resting a knee on his neck as the call for non-emergency medical goes out (due to bleeding from his mouth).

The call then gets upgraded to an EMS Code 3, which apparently means emergency medical assistance, but the knee remains on Mr. Floyd. This becomes 8 minutes and 46 seconds of kneeing on the neck as Floyd repeatedly says "I can't breath". The officer claims if Mr. Floyd gets in the car, he will stop to which Floyd says "I can't" for obviously being pinned to the ground.

Even after minutes pass of a pretty much lifeless body, Derek Chauvin continues to hold his knee on Floyd's neck. He only stops when the medical assistance basically points to removing the knee. As the ambulance transported his body to the nearby hospital Mr. Floyd was pronounced dead at 9:25pm local time (About an hour after the police arrived).

Protests

This led almost immediately to protests in the area in which a crowd of folks walked from the memorial to the Minneapolis 3rd Precinct headquarters. As the protests died down and the sun fell - it evolved to riots.

It is estimated that nearly 308 businesses were looted or completed destroyed (As of June 2). It is unfortunate that some folks take advantage of the protesting to escalate things to the point of burning down the city they live.

Morning comes and the city looks like something out of a post apocalyptic video game.

Police Brutality

This movement really just show how untrained some police personnel are. It is frankly embarrassing and disgusting these personnel are supposed to protect us. When it seems most can't deescalate a situation.

For some of the force, it seems they are living out call of duty excited to be taking down their own citizens.

You should like your job, but I don't think you should be excited to be yelling "shut up bitch" and attacking the folks you are sworn to protect.

This next clip is a group of friends sitting on their porch as military personnel patrol the neighborhood. The original clip hears the call out "Light em up!" to citizens on their own private property.

The curfew order literally said this

Can I be outside my house (on my property) after 8 p.m. and before 6 a.m.?
Yes

After this incident was voted up on Reddit nearly 230,000 times and commented 22,000 times the FAQ page was updated.

Yes. You can be on your porch, yard, patio, etc., but if a law enforcement officer or other public safety official asks you to go inside, or take any other action, you must follow the instruction.

You can watch the clip and there is no asking to go inside, the first verbal command we hear is "Light em up!". Absolutely disgusting.

This next clip is an elderly gentleman just engaging in commentary with the marauding police force.

This clip has been seen 80 million times at this time of this post and just shows that this police would rather push a gentleman to the ground at his age, ignore his recovery claiming "we have an EMT with us".

Buffalo Police, after this incident hit the news, suspended the two officers.

Questioning Police

Every instance I have with police is just bad. They are supposed to be protectors, but even my latest instance with them was not fun. My left hand turn out of my complex was blocked by a police car and they would not allow u-turns either at the upcoming intersection, so basically I was going to be late to work by 20 minutes.

I asked the officer why I couldn't take a turn as he ushered me and he refused to say, just saying "Sir, you need to go this way". Honestly, in any engagement from digital video game engagements to major choices at work. I always need to know WHY.

Turns out there was a fire at the house behind the high school and they were closing the major road in front of it. Why not just tell me that officer????

Militarizing Police

For this topic I just remember how our hospitals were pleading for masks and materials to protect the staff from the incoming COVID-19 patients. Yet it seems that every police department across the nation has enough military tech to go to war with its citizens. This doesn't seem right to me.

Positive

I can't just sit here and claim all police are bad, because we do have some great officers and below is a Michigan sheriff taking off his gear and speaking with the protesters and even walking with them!

We are in sad times, but I cannot stay silent. Our police force needs to be completely revamped. Training is too short when it takes more time to be a hair stylist than police officer. If officers can't take some trash talk without escalating to guns, then they shouldn't be a cop.

I don't want to wake up tomorrow and see another human killed by the folks sworn to protect them.