Manatee County leaders hope Chauvin verdict leads to ‘new path’ toward police reform
Leaders in Manatee and Sarasota counties expressed hope for the future after a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.
The jury heard three weeks of testimony from dozens of witnesses before it delivered its verdict on Tuesday, nearly a year after Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, leading to his death.
Some of his final words — “I can’t breathe” — were chanted across the United States as people denounced Chauvin and the greater issue of police brutality and racial injustice.
The killing, which was captured on video for the world to see, set off a new conversation about systemic racism. In a series of protests that spanned the globe, protesters said it was infuriating and unacceptable to see another white officer recklessly kill a Black man in the line of duty.
Reginald H. Cadet, 25, and Brian Gutierrez, 21, were both outside of their work, Headquarters Barber Shop in Oneco, when they learned about the verdict on Tuesday. Both said that Chauvin tried to abuse his power and his badge — making the outcome of his trial a welcome one.
“I don’t care if you are the president of the United States America. I don’t care if you are the CEO of the United Nations. If you do a crime, you shall pay for it,” Cadet added.
Manatee County leaders also applauded Tuesday’s verdict and the “painfully earned justice,” as Floyd’s family attorney described it. But there’s still work to be done, they said.
In interviews with the Bradenton Herald, several leaders expressed a desire to see Floyd’s murder translate into better accountability for police officers who break the rules.
“This has impacted our entire country,” said Commissioner Reggie Bellamy. “The country has changed and there has been racial tension. Where we are right now with a guilty verdict is a step in the right direction, but please do not be misled that this eases the tension that we deal with on a daily basis.”
In November, Bellamy, the only Black representative on the Manatee Board of County Commissioners, introduced a proclamation declaring racism a public health crisis in the county.
At that time, he explained that the impacts of racism are wide-ranging and complex. On Tuesday, Bellamy reiterated those concerns and said he looked forward to nationwide reforms that ease the burden on minority communities.
“With this guilty verdict, unfortunately, there will still be issues like this that come up — whether it’s a physical issue or a mental issue,” he said. “Some of the systemic racism that goes on in the country and society — I’m not George Floyd, and I don’t have a knee on my neck physically, but mentally, there are a lot of reservations we have, especially African American men and boys.”
Robert Powell, president of the Manatee County NAACP chapter, also said he hoped the verdict would serve as a turning point that leads lawmakers to consider holding law enforcement officers accountable.
“We need some reform and changes made. We need more accountability on their part,” Powell said. “If you do something wrong, you’re going to pay for it, and hopefully that’s how it goes from now.”
As the country braced itself for the jury’s decision, Powell said he heard from several Manatee residents who feared that Chauvin would walk out of the courtroom with a verdict of not guilty.
Those fears did not come to pass Tuesday evening. Powell’s own fear centered around the civil unrest that might have happened if the jury did not convict Chauvin.
“I was already preparing that if everything went wrong, we wanted peace in the community. I had this knot in my stomach and I wanted this thing to go right because it could be bad and we don’t need more lives lost,” Powell explained. “That was my main concern.”
That fear was evidence of the need for great change, said James Golden, a local minister and the only Black member of Manatee County’s school board.
“I’m still numb from the possibility that there could have been a different outcome,” he said on Tuesday evening. “At this time, in the life of this country, it shows to me that we have much further to go than we have already come in giving equal justice under the law.”
On Sunday evening, days before the jury delivered its verdict, the Black Lives Matter Manasota Alliance said demonstrations would follow any decision outside of a murder conviction, noting that a manslaughter charge or mistrial would “set a dangerous precedent” in cases of police violence.
And on Tuesday evening, BLM Manasota shared an image that promised future reform: “This is not justice. This is accountability. Chauvin is where we start. The whole system is next.”
The organization also urged supporters to be cautious if any demonstrations were to arise. In the post made earlier this week, BLM Manasota cited the recent passage of an “anti-riot” bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Monday.
Among other changes, the law will make it a second-degree felony to destroy or demolish a memorial, plaque, flag, painting, structure or any other object that commemorates historical people or events.
“I know the governor signed his new law, so we are going to hope and assume that if people feel the need to protest, that they will do so peacefully and lawfully,” Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said on Tuesday afternoon, before the verdict was announced. “We will deal with any incidents of illegal activity and violence.”
“I think we have been fortunate,” said Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells. “Back when the crime occurred, people protested peacefully. We will sit here and watch like everyone.”
While supporters of the anti-riot bill argued in favor of stiffer penalties for people who participate in violent protests, opponents said the legislation was meant to silence civil rights organizations and remedy a problem that never gained traction in Florida communities.
State Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, was one of the bill’s fiercest critics. Just hours after DeSantis signed it into law, she joined Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to speak out against the bill.
In a statement posted on Twitter shortly after the Chauvin verdict was announced Tuesday evening, Rayner called for an end to the systemic racism that targets minorities.
“George Floyd rests a little easier today. There is no verdict just enough for a life that is gone forever,” said Rayner, a Black representative whose House district includes parts of Manatee and Sarasota counties. “Today is about setting a precedent in this country — that in this case, this Black life mattered.”
“Today’s guilty verdict marks a change in this country and sets us on a new path to rebuild the trust that is necessary between our communities and law enforcement,” she added.
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 8:21 PM.
