The Minneapolis police chief said he believes that all four former cops involved in George Floyd’s death bear the same responsibility, although only the one who shoved his knee into the man’s neck has been charged, according to a report.
“Mr. Floyd died in our hands and so I see that as being complicit,” Chief Medaria Arradondo told CNN. “Silence and inaction, you’re complicit. If there was one solitary voice that would have intervened … that’s what I would have hoped for.”
Arradondo made his comments to CNN reporter Sara Sidner live from a protest after host Don Lemon interrupted her to say Floyd’s brother Philonise wanted to ask the chief a question.
It was the first time that Floyd’s family has had communication with the Minneapolis Police Department since his death, according to Insider.
Former Officer Derek Chauvin, who has been fired, was charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The three others, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, also have been booted from the force and remain under investigation.
Philonise Floyd wanted to know whether the three also will be charged.
“I wanted to know if he’s going to get justice for my brother, and arrest all the officers and convict them,” Philonise told Sidner, who then relayed the question to Arradondo.
Arradondo called Floyd’s death after he pleaded for air a “violation of humanity.”
“There are absolute truths in life; we need air to breathe,” the chief said. “The killing of Mr. Floyd was an absolute truth that it was wrong.”
He added: “I did not need days or weeks or months or processes or bureaucracies to tell me what occurred out here last Monday was wrong.”
Arradondo said he would have hoped for the three other officers to intervene before Floyd’s death.
“That’s what you would have expected from your officers, correct?” Sidner said.
“Absolutely,” the chief replied. “That didn’t happen.”
Lemon then asked Philonise if he wanted to comment.
“They arrest guys every day. They had enough evidence to fire them so they had enough evidence to arrest them,” Philonise said before wiping his eyes with a tissue.
“I don’t know who he’s talking to, but I need him to do it, because we all are listening. Black lives matter,” he added.