Nothing can justify the police killing George Floyd. Yet we should seek to put the full set of relevant facts on the table. NPR: “Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death.” (Floyd also tested positive for COVID-19.) BBC: Floyd “was arrested for robbery in 2007 and served five years in prison.” The Daily Mail has more details about Floyd’s past crimes. Video does show Floyd struggling with officers in the back of a police vehicle prior to police pinning him on the ground (CNN). Although, again, police should not have used more force than necessary to subdue Floyd, facts about the drugs in his system and him resisting arrest surely will come up at the officers’ trials.
Tags: criminal justice, george floyd, racism