Now we all have heard the reports about how George Floyd's death was so brutal, so horrifying and carried out like an execution by Officer Derek Chauvin with three other officers, J. Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao standing by and not lifting a finger. Chauvin allegedly knelt over Floyd with a knee on Floyd's neck, choking the life out of the man slowly for over eight minutes. And we also are told that the ensuing riots and similar actions across predominantly Democratic-dominated cities were spontaneous yet most of us know that is not true. No, groups came in late in the evenings to create mischief and destruction and found pre-positioned supplies such as baseball bats and clubs, protective gear, bricks and cases of frozen water bottles and more for antagonists to use to inflict harm. Also available was fuel to start fires. At the same time, media members looked the other way and continued to say all was peaceful despite evidence as close as the fires seen burning right next to them.
But the real concern of my commentary today concerns the cause of Floyd's death and therein lies my reason for the title of this post. For, what indeed, was the cause of Floyd's death and why were legal authorities so quick to charge Officer Chauvin with murder and the other officers charged as accessories? Well, since the charges were proffered two days prior to the toxicology report being released, it is important that these things be considered and a well know former federal and state prosecutor from Pennsylvania has weighed in on the subject and has provided some talking points that should be considered. Anyone who has performed his work in this field in Philadelphia is certainly qualified to weigh in. In an interview on Minneapolis WCCO radio, he recently explained his concerns.
Well experienced in such complex cases, Parry stated it was clear that not only should the officers not have been charged with murder or as accessories to murder, but they should have been exonerated and here is why. The toxicology report indicates that the cause of death was from a massive overdose of fentanyl. George Floyd at the time of his depth had eleven nanograms of fentanyl in his system while a reading of only three is often fatal. What's more, he was extremely agitated at the time of his death and the action taken by Officer Chauvin was one designed to put Floyd in a semi-unconscious state to avoid heavier restraints. Per former prosecutor Floyd, the steps taken by Chauvin were in line with recognized procedures to meet that action, plus it has also since been learned that Floyd also suffered from severe coronary disease. And not only that, the officers had requested immediate medical aid at the beginning of the event, not something which would have been done by officers intent on killing the accused. Furthermore, is it very likely that police officers, knowing they were being recorded would spend eight minutes killing a suspect knowing full well the world would be watching? Now, I don't have the answer to that, but I do know, like Parry says, it just doesn't make sense. And for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a known radical attorney in his own right, to rush to judgment on the case likely will lead to one more court case like so many in places previously like Ferguson and Baltimore before which ended up falling flat on their face in light of the facts. If it again happens here, they can blame no one but themselves while four good men will still be out of jobs and likely struggle to regain their reputations. So, it is something we need to think about carefully.
And I guess in the end I blame it as much on the media as anyone else since they always jump to conclusions which are usually so wrong. It is truly sad that it comes to this and for all the towns and people who have their hopes and dreams destroyed by those who look for any opportunity to create chaos where they can is truly tragic. Let's open our hearts and minds, take the time to make sure what we think has happened actually has, and get smarter and come together with a dose of God's wisdom added to the process. Anything less will just continue the chaos and anguish that we find today. And in the process, let's find and eliminate those who have used such situations as a means to destroy property and hurt people. Let them spend a long prison term for their doings so that we, the good people of America, can rekindle the spirit that will make us great again.