Despite the conviction of the police officer responsible for the assassination of George Floyd, and the verdict of the court against him, the violence of the American Police against the people continues, at least 6 people have been killed in the last 24 hours.
At least six people were fatally shot by officers across the United States in the 24 hours after jurors reached a verdict in the murder case against Chauvin on Tuesday.
A 16-year-old girl in Columbus, Ohio.
An oft-arrested man in Escondido, California.
A 42-year-old man in eastern North Carolina.
The deaths, in some cases, sparked new cries for justice. Some people said they reflect an urgent need for radical changes to American policing _ a need that the Chauvin verdict cannot paper over. For others, the shootings are a tragic reminder of the difficult and dangerous decisions law enforcement face daily.
An unidentified man in San Antonio.
Another man, killed in the same city within hours of the first.
A 31-year-old man in central Massachusetts.
The guilty verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin shone a spotlight on killings by law enforcement officers. But the vast majority of police killings across the United States go largely unnoticed. To exemplify that fact, the Associated Press details how at least six people died at the hands of the police in the 24 hours after a verdict was reached in the Chauvin trial. Some of those deaths led to even more calls for accountability, while others have remained so under the radar that the name of the person who was killed isn’t even known. “In several cases, little is known about the lives of those killed and what happened in their final moments,” notes the Associated Press.
Shortly before the Chauvin verdict was read, officer Nicholas Reardon in Columbus, Ohio killed Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl. Authorities say Reardon opened fire to protect a girl that Bryant had lunged at with a knife. Bodycam footage of the incident was released and the death led to protests in Columbus, with many wondering why the officer apparently didn’t hesitate to open fire on such a young girl. Even the White House commented on the killing. “The killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant by the Columbus police is tragic,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday. “She was a child.” In contrast, the president of the National Fraternal Order of Police said the officer’s actions were “an act of heroism.”
The circumstances surrounding each death differ widely. Some happened while officers investigated serious crimes. Police say some of the people were armed with a gun, knife, or a metal pole. One man claimed to have a bomb that he threatened to detonate. In several cases, little is known about the lives of those killed and what happened in their final moments.
