The Corona Chronicles (Problematic Law Enforcement)

This story was written during the protest marches for George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

So my husband shared an article with me today. In it, I read how three officers were freely using the "N" word to describe black citizens, other fellow officers, and even the local magistrate who all happen to be black.  They were all recorded, inside their cruiser, rooting each other on in how they were going to go out and "slaughter them "f'____ing ni_____'s, I can't wait. God I can't wait."

Honestly, outside of being angry, the first thing that came to mind was, "wow, they used God's name in their hateful rant?" This is horrifying to know that every day we may come across officers who feel just like this, but weren't stupid enough to have their conversation recorded by "accidental activation."

Thankfully, a supervisor whose job it is to revue tape, came across this information and passed it along to the Chief of Police, who after one day on the job, elected to fire all three of them. My husband seems to feel that the officers whose corrupt ways have yet to be found out, are just biding their time until the Black Lives Matter movement dies down.  How scary would that be, to face the raft of vengeful officers looking to get back at those who stole their killing privileges?

What makes the issue problematic is the fact that this particular profession is supposed to protect us, but those officers in that cruiser were talking about shooting a fellow officer who is black, in the head. I thought police officers had a code among their fellow brotherhood/sisterhood of law enforcement.  Apparently not.  Not even one of them can feel safe so long as his skin is dark.

Later in the recorded conversations, one of the officers is heard saying that he should have put a bullet in the head of a black female he had arrested the day before, and then "move the body out of the way and keep going." All of this because they each felt that the protesters were a problem they didn't want to have to deal with. Their views and responses to black lives are exactly why the movement and the protest are necessary.

Now that we have a President in office who's words go uncensored, and actions are supported by "the far right,"- in every corruptible meaning of the  phrase-we can expect for their to be a push-back on both sides of the law. We are now the citizens versus the police.