Detroit native, Minnesota AG reflects on role in George Floyd case

Detroit native and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison authored a new book detailing his experience trying the officers responsible for George Floyd’s death.

The book, Break the Wheel also takes a closer look at social justice and racial reckoning.

“I, like the rest of America, was absolutely shocked when I saw the tape,” said Ellison, referring to Darnella Frazier, the young woman who recorded the video of Floyd’s death, and the onlookers who desperately tried to intervene on his behalf.

When he saw it, Ellison did not know he would be tasked to prosecute the officers in that video.

In July, he sat down with Local 4, community activists, and everyday citizens at Church of the New Covenant to discuss his conclusions following his work on the Floyd case.

“When you have a cycle of arbitrary violence by state actors, by police, you erode trust,” Ellison said.

Trust, he says, is essential to having what he calls adequate public safety. To rebuild that trust, Ellison says good cops who respectfully police their communities and do what’s right must be acknowledged and promoted, while officers who do not must be held accountable.

“You can’t let criminal conduct go without accountability,” said Ellison, who wants to see a national registry identifying officers whose previous departments have found them unfit to serve.

For example, Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck and was convinced of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, had a history of excessive force complaints.

“Chauvin had 18 prior complaints, and he wasn’t even the top 10 (offender) in the department,” Ellison said. “This cannot be allowed. The officers who never pull their gun and have great relationships with the community have to work alongside these officers, which leads to a toxic work environment, burnout, poor morale, and people leaving the profession.”