Letters to the Editor: Don't forget that Derek Chauvin had 18 complaints before he killed George Floyd

To the editor: The conviction of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin for the the murder of George Floyd is great news. Police cannot always get away with murder. Will the verdict stand up through all the appeals that are sure to come? We have to let history happen.

There were reports that Chauvin had 18 complaints filed against him before he killed Floyd. Why are these proceedings routinely withheld from the general public? How many more ticking time bombs with badges are driving around our cities?

Is now the time to open up these investigations to public scrutiny? Could these files also hold evidence of routinely incompetent investigations into those complaints about police brutality?

Patrick Sullivan, Reseda

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To the editor: Chauvin being found guilty on all three counts cannot be considered justice if it only meets this moment in time. If this moment becomes a step forward leading toward real police reform, then we can begin to heal, and justice will continue to be served.

That is my fervent hope.

Marcy Bregman, Agoura Hills

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.