Mayor Melvin Carter Discusses Racism and Police Violence

LET ME ASK YOU OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND YOUR REACTION ON NOT ONLY THE ARREST OF OFFICER CHAUVIN BUT ALSO THE CHARGES THAT HAVE BEEN LEVELED AGAINST HIM NOW.

MANSLAUGHTER, MURDER IN THE THIRD DEGREE.

IS THIS ENOUGH?

OR ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR MORE?

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AS YOU KNOW, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, LIKE EVERY COMMUNITY ACROSS OUR COUNTRY IS SHAKEN YET AGAIN WITH ANGER, RAGE, FRUSTRATION, MOURNING, YET ANOTHER NAME, YET ANOTHER HASHTAG OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN, UNARMED, NOT AGGRESSIVE, WHO DIED AT THE HANDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND THIS TRAUMA IS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THERE IS NO HISTORICAL PROOF THAT OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM CAN'T HOLD SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT.

IT IS A QUESTION OF, IS IT ENOUGH?

WE WON'T FIND OUR WAY TO ENOUGH TODAY OR THIS WEEK.

THIS IS REAL LONG TERM WORK THAT WE HAVE TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO, THAT WE HAVE SEEN BY CAMERA PHONES OVER THE LAST DECADE.

BUT THERE ARE GRANDPARENTS AND PARENTS FOR GENERATIONS AND IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE CAN SHOW THAT SOMEBODY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS ONE OFFICER IS BEING CHARGED, AND BEING CHARGED WITH A SIGNIFICANT CHARGE LIKE THAT.

I AM HOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE OTHER THREE OFFICERS CHARGED AS WELL, BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER THREE OFFICERS WHO NONCHALANTLY FAILED TO DO THEIR DUTY TO INTERVENE, THAT SHOWS AN ACCEPTED, A GENERALIZED, A NORMALIZED CULTURE THAT WE HAVE TO SYSTEMATICALLY DISMANTLE AS WELL.

AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM, WE SHOWED VIDEO THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD SHOWS SOME OF THOSE OTHER POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED, ALSO KNEELING ON GEORGE FLOYD.

I MEAN, THESE ARE SHOCKING IMAGES, SHOCKING FACTS THAT KEEP GOING ON.

I WANT TO ASK YOU, THIS HAPPENED ON MONDAY.

IT IS TODAY, FRIDAY.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT TOOK THIS LONG AND GAVE SPACE TO VIOLENCE?

WHY DO YOU THINK IT TOOK THIS LONG TO ARREST AND TO CHARGE THESE PEOPLE?

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

I'M OF COURSE NOT AN ATTORNEY.

I SHARE THAT SAME FRUSTRATION.

I HEARD YOUR CORRESPONDENTS SAYING PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.

IF SOMEBODY HAD A VIDEO OF ME DOING THAT, THEY WOULD HAVE SURE FOUND A WAY TO ARREST ME THAT SAME DAY AND HAVE ME IN CUSTODY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE FACT IS THAT WE'VE GOT A WHOLE SYSTEM OF POLICE UNION CONTRACTS, OF LEGISLATION, AND OF LEGAL PRECEDENT THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONVICT OFFICERS IN THESE CASES.