By Mark Carpenter and Austin Rust-
8 minutes and 46 seconds. After months of the country being shut down and likely changed forever by the coronavirus, another old foe reared its ugly head on May 25. George Floyd, a 46-year old black man suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street, telling officers “I can’t breathe.” Videos taken by bystanders quickly made the rounds of news and social media and the issue of police brutality was again brought to the forefront of a nation’s thinking.
After Floyd’s death, protest began almost immediately, spreading to spots in all 50 states and even to some foreign countries. Most of the protests began peacefully as marches against the excessive use of force by police officers, but many of them escalated quickly into violence and then into the looting and robbing of businesses. In numerous cities, demonstrators clashed with police, but on the other hand in many areas, law enforcement and demonstrators worked together peacefully and as the week went on, the protests as a whole became more peaceful.
In Cincinnati, protests began peacefully on Friday, May 29 but later that evening a window was smashed at the Hamilton County Jail and those protests turned more violent, forcing CIncinnati mayor John Cranley to impose curfews on the city, a practice put into place by the mayors of many large cities around the country. The Cincinnati protests have continued throughout the week and on Thursday afternoon protestors were scheduled to meet with city officials with a list of demands.
Locally, peaceful protests were held in Maysville, Portsmouth, and Ripley, with none in Adams County as of press time. Mason County Sheriff Patrick Boggs was among the Maysville marchers.
“If you don’t see something wrong, then you don’t need to be wearing a badge,” Boggs told the Ledger-Independent. “But they are not keeping Mr. Floyd’s memory alive with the looting and violence.”
All four Minneapolis police officers were fired the day after the incident and Chauvin was originally charged with third-degree murder, a charge which was upped to second-degree murder on Wednesday. The other three officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Those charges and ensuing trials will capture much attention in the coming months.
“I strongly believe that these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community, and our state,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as he announced the new charges.
In Ohio, the earliest protests of George Floyd’s death reportedly took place Thursday, May 28 in Columbus. Despite beginning peacefully, these protests did result in violent exchanges that night between protesters and local police; the Ohio Statehouse and other buildings were also damaged. Peaceful protests resumed the next day, May 29, but rioters caused more damage when night fell.
On Saturday, May 30, Governor Mike DeWine activated the Ohio National Guard to help restore order in Columbus at the request of the city’s mayor, Andrew Ginther, and Police Chief Thomas Quinlan. Governor DeWine also ordered the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) to help enforce criminal laws within the city, according to an official press release issued the same day. In this press release, Governor DeWine also provided the following statements on the matter at hand:
“The majority of demonstrators want simply to be heard, and we welcome the voices of the individuals who are focusing attention on the tragic death of George Floyd and on other injustices. But, sadly, these voices calling for justice and change are being drowned out by a smaller group of violent individuals who threaten the safety of the citizens of our community. Acts of violence will not be accepted nor tolerated. This violence must stop.”
“I am activating our National Guard to drive out hate and violence and to instill order. This is about the safety of our communities – our neighbors, our families, and our friends. It is about protecting from unnecessary destruction the small businesses that our fellow Ohioans have worked so hard to create. It is also about protecting the First Amendment and creating the environment for peaceful protests so that people can be heard, so that voices are not stifled, so that justice can prevail, and so that love, kindness, compassion, and peace can triumph over hate and violence.”
“I understand that people are angry and have pent up rage. I understand that we are living in very uncertain times right now in this country. But it is in these times of uncertainty and division that we must call upon the ‘better angels of our nature’ and come together as one state and as one people to care for one another, to value one another, and to protect one another.”
A city-wide curfew requiring most residents to stay inside their homes from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. was implemented by Mayor Ginther the same day, May 30, and remains in-effect.
On the evening of Saturday, May 30, Governor Mike DeWine activated the Ohio National Guard to help restore order in Cleveland, as well, at the request of the city’s Mayor, Frank Jackson, and Police Chief, Calvin Williams. In a press release, Governor DeWine explained the following:
“At approximately 6 p.m., I received a call from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson expressing serious concerns about the safety of Cleveland residents and peace officers following violent demonstrations there this afternoon. As is the case in Columbus, it is believed to be a relatively small group of violent individuals who are drowning out the voices of the many citizens who are peacefully expressing their desire for justice and change.”
“In this time of deep anger, sadness, and frustration, we stand with those who are expressing their First Amendment rights, but we will not stand for those who wish to inflict pain and cause destruction.”
In an announcement made on Tuesday, June 2, Governor DeWine said that he is “intensifying efforts in Ohio to improve issues of health and economic disparities, racism, and inequality,” and provided the following statement:
“I am seeking dialogue to solve these problems and seeking strategies for the implementation of reforms. Whether it is in the urban core or the hills of Appalachia, we have Ohioans who are not living up to their God-given potential because they simply do not have the same opportunities. That is wrong, and we have a moral obligation to change that.”
“Race is indisputably a factor in all kinds of health, education, and economic disparities. The divisions of race have plagued us since our country’s inception.”
“While there are no simple solutions, we must be a positive voice in advancing change for all of those who are marginalized and in creating equity in health, education, and economic opportunity.”
The press release states that efforts will include new plans to improve law enforcement access to quality training, enhance transparency between the policy and the public, recruit more minorities to serve as peace officers, and add more oversight to Ohio’s law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability. It is clear that these new plans result from demands presented at recent protests.
Further, the release adds that continuing work will include addressing lead paint poisoning in children, reducing infant and maternal mortality in the African American community, increasing home visiting programs for at-risk, first-time mothers, fighting the drug epidemic in Ohio, and prioritizing availability of mental health services in Ohio’s schools for children who need them.