KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin wasn’t necessarily justice, but “fundamental accountability,” according to Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“Nine minutes and 29 seconds Officer Chauvin’s knee was on George Floyd,” Lucas said. “It was a tragedy. George Floyd should be alive today.”
Because of that, he said there’s not rejoicing, but a “right result.”
“[The] jury did the right thing. The prosecutors did the right thing,” Lucas said. “The jury rejected what I thought were some preposterous arguments. But what it means to me is we make sure things like this [don’t] happen again.”
And as he grieves for Floyd’s family, Lucas said Chauvin being convicted of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, for the 2020 death of Floyd, is a step toward “justice for accountability.”
“I’ve heard from law enforcement and beyond who said today that they wanted to see this verdict as well,” Lucas said. “Because they go out and do their jobs every day, they do their jobs the best they can. But it’s people like this in the bad name of the profession – We need to make sure that we root out these types of officers.”
Shortly after the guilty verdict was announced, the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department issued a statement in support of the criminal justice system and "the outcome in which it resulted in this case."
Lucas is expected to meet with local activists on Wednesday, when, he said, he will continue to ensure that residents are respected and listened to.
“And then, eventually, that we have a department and community that’s got our trust,” he said. “We need to do more of that in Kansas City — I'll make sure I'm a part of it. Police officers, for our community, for everyone. That’s important for everybody here.”
