On May 25, we all watched on TV the video showing officer Derek Chauvin appearing to kill George Floyd — with his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes as two other officers helped hold him down and one stood guard. It is hard to describe the multiple emotions that ran through me: anger, disgust, outrage, sadness, and, maybe worst of all, distrust.
Distrust in our institutions and our police force.
The Minneapolis Police Department has had a reputation, fair or unfair, for brutality, going back decades.
Then I read the article in the May 28 News Tribune (“ Protesters in Duluth demand arrest of Minneapolis officers after death of George Floyd ”) that described the protest in Duluth and how Duluth Sgt. Joe Miketin handled what could have turned into a bad situation into something positive. He reminded me how hard his job is and how important it is to have a good police department with officers as competent and professional as him. He could have let his ego get in the way. Instead he acted with empathy and understanding. Thank you, Sgt. Joe Miketin for helping me regain that trust.
I was marching with the protesters on May 30 and was very impressed with the speakers and just as impressed with the Duluth Police Department and how its officers handled the situation. No matter what your opinion is regarding the events in the week or so following George Floyd’s death, one thing is clear: We as a society will continue to pay a high cost for bad policing. We as citizens must demand that our police officers have the very best training and be paid accordingly. We need to retain good cops and terminate bad cops.
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Thad Beech-Dziuk
Duluth
