Eight correctional facility officers, all of racial minority, filed a complaint to Minnesota’s Department of Human Rights for they believed they were banned from protecting and guarding Derek Chauvin, the officer who has been charged for the murder of George Floyd.
Chauvin has been sent to Ramsey County Jail when he was initially charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. After vehement protests to increase the charge, he currently awaits trial for murder of second-degree.
Although all other officers who were present with Chauvin have all been fired and await trial, Chauvin is the most well-known among them as he was the one filmed with his knee on Floyd’s neck.
The eight-and-a-half minute video and Floyd’s plea that he can’t breathe has sparked anti-racism protests all around the world, especially so in Minnesota where the incident took place.
On the day that Chauvin was moved to the county jail, the Star Tribune reports that all correction officers of color were asked to evacuate the floor and move to another. The local news source reports that it has a copy of the official copy that the officers filed to the state.
One of the officers were allegedly told by their supervisors that they will be a risk because of their race. If this allegation is true, the significance and irony would be great, as it means that the officers’ capabilities of working in a fair and protective manner were undermined because of their race.
One African American officer said that everyone understood the reasoning behind being asked to evacuate the floor as one based only on race. He added that he was not aware of other cases in which personal factors were considered when officers are delegated inmates to overlook.
The legal representatives for the officers said that the decision greatly cratered the morale of the officers. He argued that the officers should be treated based on their characteristics and performance, not personal traits such as race.
Superintendent Steve Lydon acknowledged that the alleged decision was made, but argued that it was the best choice that he can make to protect and help the officers. Star Tribune reports that Lydon has since been removed from his position as superintendent.
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Replaced!