County Executive David Crowley Statement on Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict

MILWAUKEE, WI – The following is the statement of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on the jury’s guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin:

“My thoughts are with the family, the friends, and the community of George Floyd who are deserving of our continued love, strength, and support.

“For close to a year, millions across the globe joined the family in their righteous calls for justice, but true justice lies beyond a single verdict. Even after the entire world witnessed George Floyd’s life taken on film, more Black and Brown people lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement. Just days ago, another Black man, Daunte Wright, was killed by a police officer just ten miles away from the courthouse where the Chauvin trial was taking place. A single verdict cannot bring justice for the Floyd family or the family of Daunte Wright who will forever shoulder the incomparable loss of a loved one.

“Real justice is living in a world where George Floyd and Daunte Wright are alive today and their killers never had the power to take their lives in the first place. Justice is dismantling the systems that endanger Black and Brown lives, transgender lives, Asian-American and Pacific Islander lives, and the lives of so many others part of communities who for generations have never felt safe – even in their own homes. Justice is intentionally working towards a world where someone’s life expectancy can’t be predicted by their zip code.

“Last year was a turning point as we saw the largest civil rights protest in recent memory in response to Floyd’s killing. It is my hope that today’s verdict serves as a turning point as well to finally acknowledging the historical and ongoing impact of systemic racism in communities across the country, and that we begin the work to see our neighbors as human beings worthy of the same rights and opportunities as the next person.

“I’m glad to see that after nearly a year, the Floyd family can rest tonight knowing George’s killer will be held accountable, but the system is guilty as well. Today, we must all commit ourselves to the work of achieving racial equity and bringing an end to the systemic forces that continue to devalue the lives of our fellow residents.”