As of April 20th, 2021, Derek Chauvin is guilty of second degree unintentional murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter for fatally kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for over 9 minutes - his sentencing is scheduled for June 25th, where Chauvin could face decades in prison time. This case, not surprisingly, has gained massive media attention both domestically and internationally, and will go on to impact both American police systems as well as race relations. But why? Why has this particular case risen to be more impactful than the many police brutality cases before it, and why will it undoubtedly change the nature of the American police system?
First off, it is easy to see that there was a massive surge in peaceful protests over the summer, the vast majority of which in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter cause, which had gained more traction after the murder of George Floyd. The videotaping of Floyd’s death by non-police bystanders was key in the rapid mobilization of the American public. Virtually any person in the world with free access to the internet could see the killing of Floyd. This access to watch and analyze the video of Floyd repeating the phrase “I can’t breathe,” while struggling for his life, was instrumental, as it sparked outrage across the world. Consequently, both in America and in over 70 other countries, people protested the racial injustices that continue to run rampant.
The spectacle of unity and strength that the global protests produced became a large contributing factor to how the Chauvin case played out. As exemplified by the summer protests, a significant portion of the American population fervently believed that action needed to be taken concerning Chauvin, representing the larger issue of police brutality and institutionalized racism. Thus, the pressure placed on the justice system yielded an outcome that reflected those beliefs.
Although some efforts have been made, in the Minneapolis police department, the department Chauvin served on for almost two decades, it is unclear the exact direction that will be taken for reform. Dennis Kenney, A criminal justice professor at John Jay College and a former police officer, stated that the most likely methods of reform would be to either restrict the ability of officers to use force, or to increase the accountability of police officers in general. In some ways, especially because of the precedent the Chauvin case set, the accountability of police officers has skyrocketed as the public eye watches closely. But no absolute progress has been made.
However, these two options are not the only valid solutions. Mr. Gumenick, an AP Government and U.S. history teacher at Saline High School with an additional background in psychology, suggests that one of the most effective ways to decrease the amount of police brutality cases is to train police officers to be social workers, rather than militarized units. With proper training in how to deescalate a given social situation, the use of force would not be used as a means to end a stressful situation. But more importantly, the use of force would not be used in a situation that could be deescalated peacefully.
Nonetheless, the Chauvin case has only furthered the progress in ending the police brutality that has persisted in this country for decades upon decades. As a student, staying educated and being cognizant of the injustices in this country and around the world are one of the most important actions one can take. As exemplified by this case and outcome, everyone has an impact; for progress to be made, it is critical that everyone uses their impact to positively advance social justice.
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