LAW ENFORCEMENT
to the growing dialogue on race and policing. Prior to moving to Minneapolis, Mr. Floyd lived in Houston’s Third Ward, where he played football at Jack Yates High School, made music with the Screwed Up Click, and was known throughout the community for mentoring youth.3 Despite being an asset to the Third Ward community, it appears that Mr. Floyd was targeted by police during his time in Houston. Shortly after Chief Acevedo’s national media appearances, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced that she was probing a 2004 arrest of Mr. Floyd by HPD Officer Gerald Goines.4 Goines, an HPD officer for over 20 years, presently faces murder charges for a January 2019 noknock raid that resulted in HPD killing two innocent civilians.5 The District Attorney’s probe of Mr. Floyd’s arrest was part of a larger review of Officer Goines’s cases, which has already resulted in the n May 25, 2020, the Minindictment of additional HPD officers,6 neapolis Police murdered the examination of other cases handled George Floyd. by Officer Goines,7 and a The bystanderheavily redacted internal recorded video HPD audit of its own narfootage of the cotics unit that one crimiThe national nologist asserted showed killing showed Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Mr. conversation on race “an operation completely 8 Floyd’s back for eight minutes and policing... out of control.” and 46 seconds as Mr. Floyd Without the video of gave police depart- the Minneapolis Police protested that he was unable to breathe. ments and elected killing George Floyd, it Though the murder of Mr. is unlikely that his case leaders...an opportuFloyd happened in Minneapwould have become a nanity to listen...” tional story. In Houston, olis, the video footage quickly circulated and its impact similar videos of police reverberated throughout the killings have been hard to country, sparking a national conversacome by, despite no shortage of police tion on race, policing, and the nature killings; in the six weeks prior to Mr. of public safety. Houston Police DepartFloyd’s murder, HPD killed six9 citizens ment (HPD)1 Chief Art Acevedo was an and has since refused to release any of the active participant in these conversations, body-cam footage publicly.10 While Housappearing on national television and reton Mayor Sylvester Turner and Chief sponding to calls to defund police deAcevedo agree that transparency is im2 partments and reinvest in communities. portant, they assert that they are “trying Chief Acevedo’s discussions with to strike a very delicate balance” between Wolf Blitzer on CNN, however, were transparency and the wishes of the famnot the only thing connecting Houston ily members of the deceased citizens.11 By Jay Jenkins
George Floyd and the Connection to Houston:
A Call for Local Reform
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