ATLANTA – State Representative Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta) today issued the following statement regarding the recent verdict for the Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin criminal case:
“Yesterday, the world watched and held its breath as George Floyd’s murderer was found guilty on all three charges. I slowly exhaled as the tears fell because this verdict confirmed what we already knew. What the world witnessed last summer, as we watched a Black man slowly die at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, was murder. But, let me be noticeably clear, this is not justice. It was accountability in action.
“This current system of policing has long warranted and demanded reform, but instead, many have allowed it to do what it was created to do from its inception, that is to control and harm Black bodies and protect unethical practices. Chauvin’s actions represented a system that works exactly as it was designed, which will no longer be tolerated. The conviction and sentencing will not bring George Floyd back, but his death and the outpouring of activism, legislation and criminal justice reform will now usher in a level of transparency and accountability that we have never seen.
“Still, my heart grieves for those still awaiting justice. Just moments before the guilty verdict was delivered, Ma’Khia Bryant, a 15-year-old Black girl was shot four times by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio. She is now another victim of this state-sanctioned violence on Black and brown bodies across the country. Then, there’s 20-year-old Duante Wright who was killed just 12 miles from Minneapolis, and 13-year-old Adam Toledo was killed last week in Chicago. Both of these boys were killed by law enforcement officers. We will never forget Georgia’s own, Rayshard Brooks, and those Black lives erased from our existence, including Breonna Taylor, Ronell Foster, Willie McCoy, Daunte Wright, Dontre Hamilton, Barrington ‘BJ’ Williams, David McAtee, Eric Garner, Tony ‘Tony the Tiger’ McDade, Elijah McClain, Jonathan Price, John Elliot Neville, Atatiana Koquice Jefferson and the list goes on.
“Enough is enough. We must hold our police officers, solicitors, district attorneys and judges accountable. We can hold them accountable in the Georgia Assembly by supporting and passing a criminal justice reform legislative package sponsored by Rep. Sandra G. Scott (D-Rex), which includes House Bills 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 35, and I am proud to co-sponsor HBs 15, 16 and 19.
“I support Rep. Scott’s criminal justice reform package as it is what the citizens of Georgia need, want and deserve if we are truly going to transform and heal Georgia and end this historic systemic racism.
“The time is now. Let’s get this done once and for all.”
Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves on the Health & Human Services, Interstate Cooperation, Information and Audits and Small Business Development committees.
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