Hold It, Before You Jump to Conclusions

Derek Chauvin and officers subduing George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

The Derek Chauvin/George Floyd affair may have more than a casual resemblance to the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown matters. The earlier instances appeared on first blush, after they’ve been hastily processed through our biased media mill, to be the actions of Klansmen in uniform or racist vigilantes (George Zimmerman). But wait, if earlier episodes are any indication, more information comes tumbling out later to put the situation in a different light. Such may be at least partially true in the George Floyd case.

Andrew C. McCarthy and Gavrilo David shed new light on the case.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about Chauvin/Floyd:

(1) Floyd was intoxicated on fentanyl and methamphetamine while also suffering from 2 heart conditions. Both substances were present as per toxicology reports.

(2) There are 2 gaps in the body-cam record prior to Floyd being handcuffed and Chauvin’s eventual subduing of Floyd on the ground. Minnesota AG Ellison’s report quickly passes over the gaps.

(3) Floyd both actively and passively resisted arrest.

(4) The officers at the scene expressed concerns about a condition called “excited delirium syndrome” (ExDS) on the part of Floyd. It’s a condition that is recognized in professional psychiatric manuals and in Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) policy. The condition can be lethal for suspect and officer. The policy calls for restraint of the suspect in a manner similar to the one used.

(5) Floyd claimed he couldn’t breathe long before Chauvin placed his knee on the back of his neck. Besides, the remaining video shows Floyd turning his neck under Chauvin’s knee. This circumstance raises questions about lethality due to asphyxiation.

(6) Floyd didn’t live a life according to the Boy Scout oath. He had a history of criminal convictions. While such a past isn’t dispositive in this particular case, it sheds light on a distressing factor in today’s America: namely, social pathologies aren’t neatly distributed according to a group’s proportion of the population. A large number of criminal activities leads to a large number of run-ins with police and increases the chances of injury from the criminal activity or police efforts to bring the suspect into custody. Being law-abiding has its health benefits.

Does any of this exonerate the officers? It’s hard to tell at this point. All I know is that I smell a rat. The hive of race demagogues is ever-ready to pounce, riot, pillage, destroy, hurt others, and kill. The sad history of lynching has never left us. Only in this case, the targets are the cops.

Before you attempt to hang somebody, make sure that you have the story right.

RogerG

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