“Town Crier” newsletter – Briefs from the Region (2) – 6/10/20
Since the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police while in their custody, waves of protests and riots have swept the U.S. calling for changes to the societal fabric of the nation, with emphasis on addressing systemic racism and an emboldened and well-fortified police force. Specifically, a video of the incident, which depicts ex-police officer Derek Chauvin placing his knee on the struggling man’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he begged for air, has reignited the Black Live Matters movement of the mid 2010s. Calls to “defund the police” have been heard in nearly every major American municipality and state as a result of said protests, a phenomenon that has reached Montana. Attorney General Tim Fox had some words on the matter, released in a statement: “Recent calls by some misguided individuals to defund law enforcement agencies in the wake of the George Floyd tragedy are not only reckless overreactions to a serious situation, but are an insult to the thousands of good law enforcement officers across our country who put their lives on the line every day to protect public safety. I am dedicated to equal justice for all, and to ensuring that the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and our Police Safety Officer Standards and Training Council continue to uphold rigorous standards that protect the rights, lives, and property of all.”
