Community Activists Blindsided, Concerned About Two Separate Trials In George Floyd Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Voices from within the community are speaking out and want to be heard about two separate trials for four former Minneapolis Police officers involved in the death of George Floyd.
The news is not sitting well with some members of the community, especially for many who have rallied around the area where Floyd was killed at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis.
True justice, some are saying, goes beyond guilty verdicts for those involved.
"My initial reaction was trying to separate the culpability of the three officers from Derek Chauvin," said Toussant Morrison. "To separate Tou Tau, Lang and Keung from Chauvin almost kinds of sends a message that they are less responsible than Derek Chauvin when really the way that I see it is they are all complicit, " Morrison said.
Community organizer Morrison has spent countless days and nights on the frontline fighting for justice for Floyd.
He believes many who have dedicated their hearts to this movement have been blindsided by the news of two separate trials.
"The few folks that I talked to so far are disappointed and somewhat upset it kind of increases the lack of trust between the legal system and the citizens, "Morrison said.
Morrison is not alone in his thinking.
"Justice would be better served if it was all together. I think it would be easier on the community because of some folks the whole thing is trauma inducing " said Mel Reeves, a community activist.
Reeves says two trials will have cost, more money and more time. He adds the community is watching to see how the courts determine what justice looks like for all involved.
"I think it also allows the group of three to speak a better chance to get off I do," said Reeves.
Morrison says the fight for justice does not end with a guilty verdict for any of the former officers involved in Floyd's death.
"My message to the community that we need to hold the Minneapolis Police Department accountable to the fullest and that goes beyond the four officers that goes to all the cops that have killed people in the past and will potentially kill people down the road and keep the work going and keep the boots on the ground," Morrison said.
Activists are truly concerned about the impact two trials can have on a community already in pain. Many want one trial to minimize the impact it has on the community.
