Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz expects swift justice for officers allegedly involved in George Floyd's death
In a press conference on Friday, Gov. Walz said he expects quick justice for the officers allegedly involved in the death of George Floyd, and for it to be done in a fair and timely manner.
Video Transcript
TIM WALZ: It's time for us to clean our streets. It's time for us to execute today in a way that shows respect and dignity to communities. I'm going to ask for a lot of help today of those folks who want to see it. It is my expectation that justice for the officers involved in this will be swift, that it will come in a timely manner, that it will be fair. That is what we've asked for.
I have been in contact with Hennepin County Attorney. And I am confident that those very things I just said will happen. We will continue at the BCA to do a fair, a full, and a swift gathering of all of the evidence involved. But I would reiterate again for so many of us, not all that's done in every other case where all of that evidence is gathered before. And I would ask that the swift justice be carried out.
So Minnesotans, your pain is real. The chapter that's been written this week is one of our darkest chapters. And we can choose a few things. We can choose to try and get past this. We can choose to put a force out there and stop things from happening.
We can hope that in the midst of COVID-19 or something else, it passes by, and we don't have to turn that mirror to look at the harsh reality of those underlying gaps, whether it be health care disparities, whether it be educational disparities in our communities of color, whether it be policing disparities in our community of color, whether it be wealth acquisition in our communities of color, are all very real.
We pride ourselves on a state of openness. We pride ourselves on a state of being friendly. I've talked a lot about One Minnesota. That wasn't on display last night I don't naively think everything heals, and you come to the forefront, and you say it'll be better. This is a community that demands and should expect more than words. They should expect results.
Lieutenant Governor Flannigan and I have tried to make equity the center of everything we've done. But obviously in Minneapolis on Monday night, there wasn't a lot of equity for George Floyd. His family is probably wondering where the One Minnesota is for them.
And that's on us, us as Minnesotans, us as the governor and the team that works with me, to put the things in order to establish order in our streets, to establish and rebuild trust in our communities, to lift those voices up to be heard, not pleading for their lives, but demanding the changes necessary so no one else is put into that position.
