George Floyd
Derek Chauvin, Minneapolis Police Officer, murders unarmed George Floyd - hands in pockets, broad daylight. LA Times George Floyd, a black man, was murdered by a white Minneapolis policeman, Derek Chauvin, while three of his fellow officers stood by. Excessive police violence, including murder, has had a long history in this country as a weapon of intimidation and social control.
More recently, police officers who have used excessive violence against blacks have cloaked their actions under the veil of “reasonable and necessary” force to ensure their safety. Juries have overwhelmingly found that lethal confrontations between law enforcement officers and blacks are justified if the officer claims that the black acted in such a way that deadly force was reasonable and necessary.
But even though law enforcement officers have this cloak available to them, they are usually reluctant to use excessive force in broad daylight where citizens can see and video their actions. And, citizens saw and videoed Chauvin casually kneeling on Floyd’s throat for almost nine minutes. Two of the other cops held Floyd’s legs to prevent him from struggling against Chauvin. These spectators heard Floyd repeatedly cry out, “I can’t breathe” and yelled at the cops, “he’s dying.” I know where, when, and how Chauvin committed the murder, but I have questions about why.
Why would Chauvin commit murder so openly? Why was he not afraid of being seen? And, if the other three officers were not plotting with him, why did the other cops not stop Chauvin? Why was Chauvin so sure they would not stop him? We know Chauvin was a Trump supporter. Was Chauvin mimicking Trump and doing his dirt openly so he could claim innocence?
More recently, police officers who have used excessive violence against blacks have cloaked their actions under the veil of “reasonable and necessary” force to ensure their safety. Juries have overwhelmingly found that lethal confrontations between law enforcement officers and blacks are justified if the officer claims that the black acted in such a way that deadly force was reasonable and necessary.
But even though law enforcement officers have this cloak available to them, they are usually reluctant to use excessive force in broad daylight where citizens can see and video their actions. And, citizens saw and videoed Chauvin casually kneeling on Floyd’s throat for almost nine minutes. Two of the other cops held Floyd’s legs to prevent him from struggling against Chauvin. These spectators heard Floyd repeatedly cry out, “I can’t breathe” and yelled at the cops, “he’s dying.” I know where, when, and how Chauvin committed the murder, but I have questions about why.
Why would Chauvin commit murder so openly? Why was he not afraid of being seen? And, if the other three officers were not plotting with him, why did the other cops not stop Chauvin? Why was Chauvin so sure they would not stop him? We know Chauvin was a Trump supporter. Was Chauvin mimicking Trump and doing his dirt openly so he could claim innocence?
I also have questions about Floyd’s relationship with Chauvin and the other cops. Chauvin and Floyd worked security at a nightclub for some time; they must have known each other. Did Floyd and the other cops know each other? Was there a quarrel between them, or did Floyd have something on them? Is that why they could not wait for a more secluded place to kill him?
Were the cops a part of some right-wing group hoping Floyd’s murder would start a race war? If there was a conspiracy, when and where did it start? Was Floyd’s murder a part of the plot or an unplanned event used in the conspiracy? It seems highly unlikely that anyone could have anticipated the nationwide response to the Floyd murder. But extremist groups were well prepared to take advantage of the murder. And their activities may have contributed to the intensity of the protests.
If there was a conspiracy, how far did it extend? Was the coroner involved? Is that why coroner’s report suggested hypertension and drug use rather than strangulation caused Floyd’s death? Michael Baden, the private coroner, hired by the Floyd family, found that strangulation, caused by neck and back compression, caused Floyd’s death. Baden did not find that any preexisting conditions contributed to his death.
If there was a conspiracy, were any members of the President’s campaign or his supporters involved? During the 2016 Presidential election, Russian military and cybercriminals supporting Trump boosted existing antagonisms and arranged for confrontations between opposing groups. Some observers have claimed that cybercriminals and white extremists are instigating clashes between police and protesters.
Georg Floyd’s murder is certainly a part of something bigger. It may be another in the long line of black deaths, or it may be a part of a conspiracy in which another black was killed.
Were the cops a part of some right-wing group hoping Floyd’s murder would start a race war? If there was a conspiracy, when and where did it start? Was Floyd’s murder a part of the plot or an unplanned event used in the conspiracy? It seems highly unlikely that anyone could have anticipated the nationwide response to the Floyd murder. But extremist groups were well prepared to take advantage of the murder. And their activities may have contributed to the intensity of the protests.
If there was a conspiracy, how far did it extend? Was the coroner involved? Is that why coroner’s report suggested hypertension and drug use rather than strangulation caused Floyd’s death? Michael Baden, the private coroner, hired by the Floyd family, found that strangulation, caused by neck and back compression, caused Floyd’s death. Baden did not find that any preexisting conditions contributed to his death.
If there was a conspiracy, were any members of the President’s campaign or his supporters involved? During the 2016 Presidential election, Russian military and cybercriminals supporting Trump boosted existing antagonisms and arranged for confrontations between opposing groups. Some observers have claimed that cybercriminals and white extremists are instigating clashes between police and protesters.
Georg Floyd’s murder is certainly a part of something bigger. It may be another in the long line of black deaths, or it may be a part of a conspiracy in which another black was killed.