‘Indefensible’: NC police chiefs, sheriffs rebuke officers in George Floyd’s death
Police chiefs and sheriffs across North Carolina are speaking out after viewing footage of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, died May 25 after telling police he couldn’t breathe while an officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. The incident has set off nationwide protests.
In a letter, Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead said he joined law enforcement 35 years ago “to help diversify a profession that had few people of color, like me, in its ranks.”
“But as I see and hear more about George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and others, the realization that we have much more work to do becomes tragically apparent,” he said. “I find the acts and omissions by these police officers to be incomprehensible and indefensible.”
Birkhead wrote he was “embarrassed” and “outraged,” saying his office is committed to the “fair and impartial treatment” of all people.
“Let us be resolved to fight for justice for all here in Durham,” he concluded. “Let us commit to stand up or kneel down when injustices are identified.”
Birkhead’s message is one of several proffered by leaders in law enforcement since Floyd’s death.
Police Chief Toni Dezomits in nearby Cary sent a similar letter to citizens on Friday, saying the officers’ actions in Minnesota were “void of basic human compassion.”
“Our police officers have expressed worry and concern that the actions of the officers in Minneapolis will negatively and unfairly reflect on them in the eyes of the Cary citizens that they serve,” she wrote. “I have encouraged them to continue to serve with professionalism, patience, and compassion.”
Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said the incident was “very disheartening” in a statement Friday.
“We call on law enforcement professionals everywhere to hold every human life of equal value; to demonstrate compassion; to strive to be instruments of positive change; to be deliberate in building better communities for all; and to be unrelenting in the important work of fostering trust and transparency,” she said.
In Fayetteville, Police Chief Gina Hawkins said she and her officers were “outraged” by the video, the Fayetteville Observer reported.
“It is very difficult to watch,” she told the newspaper. “Everyone should be watching it to speak up and say, ‘What can we do now?’”
Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers issued a statement to Fox 8 offering his thoughts and prayers to Floyd’s family.
“The Guilford County Office respects the constitutional rights of all residents of Guilford County and does not condone any abusive behavior,” he told the TV station. “When complaints of misconduct are made against our deputies or detention officers, I as the sheriff, take them seriously and make sure they are thoroughly investigated.”
At least two other sheriffs in North Carolina posted on their personal Facebook pages about the incident.
Sheriff Sam Page in Rockingham County said he was “shocked” by the Minneapolis officers’ response.
“I will not tolerate abuse or disrespect for anyone that my deputies encounter,” he said in a post Thursday. “We serve all of our citizens equally and fairly under the law in Rockingham County, no exceptions.”
In coastal Brunswick County, Sheriff John Ingram called the Minneapolis officers’ actions “heinous” and “reprehensible.”
“I am disgusted by what I saw, a man clearly under the control of police, begging for his life as bystanders pleaded with the officers to allow him to breathe,” Ingram said Thursday.
He urged his fellow leaders not to stay silent on the issue.
“As law enforcement professionals, we must set aside our fears, concerns and worries about speaking out against what we know to be wrong and hold ourselves and each other to a higher standard,” he said. “Remaining silent only serves to enable such behavior and can lead to the public perceiving this type of behavior as being condoned by others in the law enforcement community.”
The North Carolina Sheriff’s Association has also weighed in, sending “deep sympathies” to Floyd’s family, the people of Minneapolis and its law enforcement.
“This type of egregious misconduct by a few officers erodes the respect citizens have for all officers,” the association said in a statement Friday. “Therefore, when law enforcement officers violate laws or policy, we expect them to immediately be held accountable. We, the members of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, will tolerate nothing less.”
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 2:50 PM.
