WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY) released the following statement after a Minneapolis jury found Derek Chauvin guilty for the murder of George Floyd:
“In finding Derek Chauvin guilty of murder, the jury has ensured that he is held accountable for his heinous, unconscionable crime.
But let me be clear, this verdict is not full justice, for in a just world, George Floyd would still be alive. Adam Toledo and Daunte Wright would be in their mothers’ arms right now. In a just world, we would not be faced with a near-daily onslaught of officers assaulting, harassing, and murdering Black people simply for existing.
It is time that we address the violence of systemic racism in America in its totality. Police brutality in America is just the latest chapter in the legacy of racial violence that dates back to chattel slavery, lynch mobs, and Jim Crow—a legacy that has robbed us of countless Black lives, and that must be eradicated once and for all.
That starts by fundamentally reimagining policing in America to center the dignity, humanity, and safety of all people, and especially Black and bown people. This project starts with passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, end chokeholds and no-nock warrants, and create the first-ever national registry of police misconduct. I’m proud to have helped pass this bill in the House, but now the Senate majority must do its job. Still, it would only be the beginning.
Today, we take solace in this verdict and honor George Floyd’s memory. Tomorrow, we get back to work to create a truly just America for all.”
