In their own words: Oregon activists, politicians react to Derek Chauvin conviction

Portland George Floyd protests enter sixth night

FILE — Thousands gather at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland for the sixth day of demonstrations for equal rights and protesting against racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by police in Minneapolis. Sean Meagher/Staff

Oregon activists and elected officials reacted in masse Tuesday after jurors convicted a former Minneapolis police officer of the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after the officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.

Floyd’s death in May, which was captured on video, ignited nearly a year of protests, rioting and political unrest in Portland, and it thrust the issues of police violence and systemic racism into the middle of a tense national conversation.

Derek Chauvin, the officer, was found guilty Tuesday of all three criminal counts brought to trial.

Here are the reactions of prominent Oregon and southwest Washington activists and officials.

ACTIVISTS, FAMILY MEMBERS OF PEOPLE KILLED BY POLICE:

Teressa Raiford, director of Don’t Shoot PDX: “It doesn’t mean that our children can’t go out and be murdered like Quanice Hayes was, or shot in the park because of a mental health emergency like the person at Lents Park was,” Raiford said during a phone call Tuesday with The Oregonian/OregonLive. “It doesn’t mean that, because they held one officers accountable, we see the violence in the infrastructure that exists in what we call ‘the police’ is gone.”

Black Millennial Movement: “This has been an extremely painful process for our communities. We are thinking of the Floyd family. They are our family and we support them.

Right now Black people in America feel let down, but unsurprised. We are not bitter, we are angry. The system that most of the country relies on for justice, we rely on to be the bearer of bad news. It’s not a system that was built to prosecute and hold white men accountable, let alone white men who are police officers. We watched the country take it to the streets in support of Black lives throughout last summer; screaming, chanting, pleading, begging for transformative changes to the system that consistently shows us that there are two drastically different standards for those who are Black, and those who are not. Justice is subjective.

Let us be clear, while we are thankful and elated that a guilty verdict was passed down, it is still a failure of he system. A system that chooses capitalism over human life. A system that promotes safety and security for those who can afford it and prison time for those who can’t. A system that’s only goal is to profit off of the backs of marginalized people (worldwide.) This system is failing all but the few. There is no ‘making up’ for a life lost. This sentencing is reactive justice. We will continue to see these atrocities happen again and again if we do not dismantle racism.

How many did not get a trial?

Regardless of today’s verdict, we need a drastic shift towards nationwide accountability measures. There are still so many Black souls that have been unjustly lost. We need transformative change. We will work to make sure we are protecting Black lives — we hope our allies will do the same.”

Lydia Gray-Holifield, activist: “Not just as a mom but as a Black mom, being pulled over by the police and having to tell your kids that are 12 and 7 and 8 years old, ‘put your hands in the air and be still. Don’t make any sudden moves’ … that’s the worst feeling in the world,” Gray-Holifield said. “I want (the police) to understand, as a mother, the severity of what happens to us every time we’re pulled over, or one of our kids are pulled over, or my brother or my uncle. That fear.”

“These people took an oath to protect us, and instead they’re killing us. And that’s never okay. Today’s verdict is the beginning, but it’s not an end. Yes, we can celebrate this victory, but we also have to stay focused and stay wide awake and down for the cause and continue to fight this battle of equity and diversity and inclusion for Black and brown people. This was a victory for us, but it’s not the end for us.”

Mac Smiff, activist and independent journalist: “Our goal is still not simply to hold a police officer accountable, but really to change the system of public safety all together. It’s a step in the right direction. It’s still a historic moment, but it’s just a step.”

Sharon Gary-Smith, president, Portland NAACP: “I don’t think any of us could be anything less than joyful that justice was served,” she said. “But the fact that it’s an unusual verdict given the number of killings of Black men, women and children — it’s sort of a bittersweet moment.”

Juan Chavez, Oregon Justice Resource Center: “We mourn with the family of George Floyd as they continue to endure a loss that no verdict can repay. George Floyd should be alive today. Instead, in an extraordinarily rare instance of the legal system naming the harm caused by the police, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of his murder. We do not say that the legal system is holding Derek Chauvin accountable for George Floyd’s murder, because it cannot truly do that. Real justice looks like something you mostly will not find inside a courtroom. It demands a remaking of our entire society to dismantle white supremacy which is foundational to how our nation operates today and has been since its beginning. This verdict will not be a wellspring of healing: it may comfort some, a little, but it is rather a sign of the work that needs to be done than a sign that the system is working.”

Kevin Peterson Sr., father of Kevin Peterson, man shot and killed by Clark County deputies: “It’s a victory toward things changing.”

Sue Zawacky, mother of Jenoah Donald, man shot and killed by Clark County deputies: “We hope Jenoah gets the same justice.”

POLITICIANS

Rep. Janelle Bynum: “When this nation can confront the demons of the past and overcome its addiction to absolute power over Black lives, all of America will benefit. When we can count on our courts to deliver justice for everyone, all of America will benefit. When we can rely on our police to consistently bring honor to the profession and provide equal protection for community members through their words and deeds, all of America will benefit. Today’s verdict was possible because law enforcement professionals were clear and unequivocal in their assessment of the facts. George Floyd’s death came at the hands of another man. And it could have been prevented.

“As a mother, I am processing today’s verdict with competing feelings about my own sons and their life expectancies. It is hard to explain to them the urgency I feel about their success and potential, knowing it could be cut short at any time, for any reason. And to lose all of that without a fair explanation or accountability is a hard reality to accept even if I have known this was a possibility all along. Maybe today makes it a little easier for Black mothers to breathe, but I will not stop praying for my babies.

“Some may ask if we have turned a corner. I am not really sure because the laws on the books and our justice system work against the poor, the Black, and the disabled. I have devoted my life’s work to turning this around. Lawmakers in Oregon and around the country have heard the cries of millions calling “Justice for one, justice for all.” Police accountability must be improved and this system of racial superiority must be dismantled. We must do this not only for our children, but our children’s children.”

Sen. Lew Frederick: “The verdict was appropriate and I hope it reinforces the changes already underway.”

Former state Sen. Avel Gordly: “We are still left with major transformational work to do. The administration of Justice in the United States needs to be reformed to address the absence of fairness in the application of equal justice under the law. We need to reframe the calls to reform the criminal justice system to calls to reform the administration of Justice. That means transforming policing, the judicial and correctional systems all of which fall under the overall administration of Justice. The absence of fairness is a fatal flaw in our democracy.”

Former state Sen. Margaret Carter: “It was pretty amazing to me and obviously it was great on all of us who had been watching this and knowing the wrongness of what happened. I am feeling really great about that and I am hoping it will bring about some kind of consciousness-raising on the part of police departments across America. Police have been getting away with the murder of black and brown people too long without accountability and responsibility.”

Carter paused to sing a line from Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna to Come.”

“It’s been a long time coming, but I know change will come.”

“So when I think about that, I think about hope, I think about what it is to be Black in America.”

She recalled her childhood in Shreveport, Louisiana and the local sheriff who marked his gun when he shot a Black person.

“So I have been waiting for this a long time.”

She said she has been upset over the damage done to the city by protesters.

“I was feeling quite burdened,” she said. But after the verdict, “it was like I could breathe again. All of a sudden, my heart didn’t feel so heavy.”

Portland City Commissioner JoAnn Hardesty: “Today’s verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial has provided a long overdue sense of accountability in policing, but let’s be clear: this is not justice. The guilty verdict is obviously the correct decision and it is historic. We all saw what happened to George Floyd on video. It’s rare that police officers are brought to trial over these killings and rarer still that the officer is found guilty. But this verdict does not bring George Floyd back. It does not make his family whole again. It does not make the community whole.

In a just world, George Floyd would never have been unjustly killed by a police officer having a knee to his neck for almost 9 minutes.  In the words of Cornell West, “Justice is what love looks like in public.”

Justice looks like all Portlanders, and particularly those most harmed by police violence, being able to leave their homes without fear of not returning because of a traffic stop gone wrong, a mental health episode, or simply wearing a hoodie. I want a police department that believes everyone involved in a 911 response should be alive at the end of the day. We need police to uphold the value that no one is expendable, even if they are not doing what a police officer has asked.

Today I am inspired to continue doing the work I have done for the last 32 years. To work with community to rebuild policing so that it respects all lives and provides safety equitably.

What happened to George Floyd happens here in Portland. I believe that we are all ready for change, and to really start that process our community needs the opportunity to heal locally. To do that, we must start with PPB admitting to the harm it has caused throughout history in our City, especially to BIPOC and houseless communities. We need to see accountability for their misconduct, including the many incidents of police brutality we witnessed last summer when thousands of Portlanders took to the streets to declare Black Lives Matter. We need a commitment, through policy change, that these incidents won’t continue to happen.

We have begun the process of changing our system of community safety locally. We are creating police alternatives like the Portland Street Response (PSR) pilot. Voters overwhelmingly approved a new system of community police oversight last November that is in the process of being set up. We divested from PPB’s most racially unjust specialty units and are further planning to set up Portland Street Response for long term 24/7 citywide success. Most recently, council passed a historic investment in community-based organizations to mitigate gun violence, as opposed to the traditional knee jerk reaction of funding more police. That investment also lays out the beginnings of a process to further evaluate and change our system of community safety.

I’ll be the first to admit that the above actions are not enough. We have so much further to go. To get there, I need your help. Portlanders have shown that they are hungry to act, and my hope is that we will work together towards transforming our system of community safety, so that we never again have to witness the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Quanice Hayes, or Robert Douglas Delgado.

I am a child of the Civil Rights movement. I believe in and support non-violent protest and direct action. It’s necessary to bring the scope of change the moment demands. I want to see that non-violent energy from last summer return, when thousands of Portlanders took to the streets to demand change. The pace of progress is slow and frustrating, but change is happening because of that pressure. Now we must work together to continue our transformation of community safety.

Acknowledging the anger that exists in our community, I continue to plead as the Portland Fire Commissioner for all Portlanders to recognize the extreme danger of lighting fires of any kind with the dry conditions that have led to a Multnomah County burn ban. Whether it’s at a backyard fire pit or a protest, please consider the potential consequences.

We need to dramatically change policing to ensure its community centered and less aggressive. We need to continue developing alternatives to police to ensure 911 calls get the right response. We need truth and reconciliation and we need culture change from PPB. We need real accountability.

Today was a rare day where our country finally saw a degree of accountability for police violence. I hope this moment continues to elevate the need to transform a broken system. I’m fully committed to working with you to make that happen, but for today may George Floyd Rest in Power.”

Portland Commissioner Carmen Rubio: “Today’s verdict was one that the community expected and called for, but George Floyd’s life is still lost. While we recognize that a guilty verdict was delivered in this specific case, it is still not safe for many Black lives because numerous Americans refuse to acknowledge that white supremacy and racism continues to define this country in too many ways. Since the start of this trial, police have killed an average of 3 people per day, nationally. We demonstrate that Black Lives Matter and honor George Floyd, Adam Toledo, Daunte Wright, and the numerous, numerous others when we commit ourselves to thinking and acting intentionally, with love for all, and a commitment to do our internal work and to teach our children to do better. We all must begin to have these conversations with our friends, families and communities, even when it is hard. We are either productive, or counterproductive: there is no neutrality. We cannot work to dismantle structural barriers to racial justice and racial equity if we are unable to work through discomfort, face the truths of our history and present-day actions, and make changes to recognize these truths and value our communities. But this must be followed up with actions. As elected officials, we have a responsibility to listen and act in response to our community’s plea for change, and that move us toward justice. Today’s decision will not be an indication that America is changing unless we make it so.”

Gov. Kate Brown: “George Floyd’s life mattered. His death, at the hands of Derek Chauvin, shook our nation to its core. My thoughts are with his family today.

Thousands of people last year, including here in Oregon, took to the streets to raise their voices in a clarion call for racial justice and police reform. A call for an America where Black Lives Matter.

Today’s verdict is one step towards that goal. But it is only a single step toward police accountability. It is also a reminder of how much work we have left to do. We will dismantle the structures of racism and inequality in this country just as they were built, brick by brick.

As a nation, we grieve for the life of George Floyd. And we will honor his memory by continuing to do the hard work to increase police accountability in this country. As we have seen in the last year, that process is not easy and change will not come overnight.

The path to a more just and equitable Oregon begins with understanding. Understanding our state and our nation’s deeply racist history, and resolving to work together to build a better future for this generation and those to come.”

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler: “Justice was served today. Derek Chauvin was rightfully declared guilty for the murder of George Floyd. The verdict won’t bring back George Floyd, and it won’t repair the damage, but it is an encouraging waypoint on the long road to justice and equity. That we live in a world where this can be the outcome gives me hope about the future and our ability to make the reforms we need in Portland. My colleagues on the City Council and I are committed to the hard work ahead.”

District Attorney Mike Schmidt: “The significance of this verdict cannot be overstated. This trial was vastly more than just a police officer on trial for the murder of a man. It was about humanity and sanctity of Black life. It proved excessive force is a weapon. Although this verdict delivered justice in one case, it will not, by itself, transform the criminal justice system that took the life of George Floyd. We must resist the urge to turn to other matters – this struggle is not over. The verdict will not, by itself, protect the next George Floyd. Now, we must take what we know—what we’ve learned from this trial—and find the strength to bring about transformative change in institutions across our country, and to heal and reestablish trust. This moment must serve to remind us of the tremendous gulf between where we are and where we truly must be.”

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: “Real justice would be George Floyd being alive today. Today’s verdict is only one step in the march to justice. That destination will be reached only when accountability like today’s verdict becomes the rule of law.”

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio: “I am relieved that justice has been served and that the jurors in Derek Chauvin’s trial, faced with indisputable evidence, found him guilty of all charges.

“Chauvin’s senseless murder of George Floyd last summer sparked a sea change. His death shed light on the legacy of police brutality and racial hate entrenched in American society and committed millions of Americans to the righteous cause of ending systemic racism.

“While today’s verdict will not bring George Floyd back, nor will it heal the deep mistrust between Black Americans and law enforcement, it is an important step towards justice. We know the work is not done. We must continue to peacefully exercise our First Amendment rights as we work together to reform our broken system by passing essential reforms, like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the CAHOOTS Act, to transform policing in America and reduce violence in our communities. I remain committed to proactively working to dismantle institutional racism and oppression.”

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici: “George Floyd’s murder is a tragedy and a painful chapter in our country’s history of systemic racism. His family and his community in Minneapolis have experienced heartbreaking anguish. They deserve accountability, and I wish them peace and healing.

“Today his family got justice, but this verdict cannot bring back George Floyd. Black Americans have lived in fear for too long. The Senate must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to help end the targeting of Black communities by police. I will continue to work in Congress for everyone to be safe from racial injustice and police brutality.”

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum: “I am thinking of the Floyd family and holding them in my heart. While justice itself can never bring George Floyd back—I hope today’s guilty verdicts in the case against Derek Chauvin on all three counts will serve as an inflection point.”

State Rep. Karin Power: “Let this moment of accountability be a turning point in our history, towards a future where it’s not a surprise when murderers of BIPOC people are held responsible. It’s on all of us to continue the work to dismantle structural racism.”

Secretary of State Shemia Fagan: “The verdict in the murder of George Floyd is one step in a much larger journey on the long arc toward justice. There’s so much work left to do to address systemic racism and policing in this country. My thoughts are with George Floyd’s family and community.”

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Portland Police Bureau Acting Chief Chris Davis: “The verdict of the Derek Chauvin criminal case is in and there are a range of emotions across the nation and our community in response. I agree with the Minneapolis Chief of Police who said that Derek Chauvin’s actions were beyond the bounds of the law and what we expect of police officers in the performance of their duties. The encounter with George Floyd that resulted in his death spurred a critical mass across the country demanding police reform and accountability. All community members should be treated with fairness, equity, dignity and professionalism no matter their race.

Many community members will want to make their voices heard and might march and demonstrate, and we encourage and support the lawful exercise of First Amendment rights. Those who think it is acceptable to put others’ lives and livelihoods at risk through dangerous acts of violence and destruction are not furthering the cause for system change, but setting our entire community back by tearing it apart. This is not advancing any racial justice.

While the Portland Police Bureau has been working for many years on reforms in our pursuit for fair and equitable police service to our training, accountability system, and our practices, our work is not done. It remains a priority for us to continue this work with our community. We are committed to working to find ways to heal, identify areas where improvements are needed, and work toward a better future together.”

Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese: “Today, by a jury of his peers, former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts for the murder of George Floyd. While the verdict will never bring back George Floyd, it provides a measure of closure to his family, friends and the greater community. The systems of accountability worked, holding an individual, who worked within that very system, responsible for their criminal actions.

As I shared with you following Floyd’s death in May 2020, I condemn the actions of Derek Chauvin and the actions of other officers for failing to intervene. Floyd’s death should have never happened.

At the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, we believe in the sanctity of life and treating everyone with dignity and respect. We have a moral responsibility to protect people in our custody from harm. The actions by Derek Chauvin and additional officers go against our training and our code of ethics.

As Multnomah County Sheriff, I remain committed to examining our policies and protocols to ensure they are considered best practices and that they reinforce equity now and in the future. In early April, I published an open letter to the community detailing the actions MCSO has taken over the past year to answer your calls for reform and provide the very best public safety services to the communities we serve. This work will continue, because Black lives matter in Multnomah County.”

Washington County Sheriff’s Office: “Earlier today, a jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota found ex-police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges related to the murder of George Floyd. This case sparked strong emotions worldwide, including here in Washington County, exposing what can happen when police use-of-force decisions result in a tragic death and the loss of trust in law enforcement.

As your public safety and law enforcement leaders, we recognize the immense trauma and pain this trial and the past year have brought, especially among Black community members and other people of color.

The conviction of Derek Chauvin on second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges is an essential statement of accountability in our justice system. Our nation must acknowledge the harm from inequitable outcomes our justice system has had on Black Americans and demand accountability.

We commit to the hard work of rebuilding trust through effective accountability and transparency. We believe that difficult times demand positive change. Our public safety professionals remain committed to being part of that change while deepening our partnerships with the communities we serve, particularly those historically marginalized by our justice system.

Your public safety and law enforcement leaders are committed to working alongside all our community members, upholding First Amendment rights, and ensuring the safety of our community.”

Portland Police Association: “A Minnesota jury has imposed justice in finding Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. This is the first step in our Nation’s healing as we continue to rebuild trust with the communities we serve.

Nearly a year ago, we wrote that: “What happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer is revolting, incomprehensible, and unacceptable. What we saw in that video—Mr. Floyd pleading for his life—should send chills down the spine of every law enforcement officer and citizen in this country. This tragedy is inconsistent with our oath to protect and serve, it is inconsistent with the job entrusted to us by our communities, and it is in complete opposition to everything we are trained to do.” Those words are still true today.

We have more work to do. As we have done for the past year, we will be steadfast in our commitment to actively participate in the evolution of policing locally, regionally, and nationally.

We have the finest police officers here in Portland, and I am confident in their training, experience, and commitment to public safety. In the coming days, our officers will work hard to preserve our community’s right to peacefully protest. Our officers will also work to preserve public safety if those individuals, intent on violence and mayhem, seek to hijack this historical moment for their own self-serving, political purposes.

To our communities, we are committed to healing with you. To our members, we are proud of your tireless service.”

—Jayati Ramakrishnan and Noelle Crombie

Catalina Gaitán of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.

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