Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said in a press conference Monday that he does not anticipate using tear gas or other means of force to disperse protests that may arise following the upcoming verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis.
Chauvin killed George Floyd during an arrest last May, which sparked nationwide protests. Some of those protests resulted in damage to buildings and deployment of chemical agents in Madison.
Chauvin now faces charges of murder and manslaughter. Prosecutors and attorneys for Chauvin made their closing arguments Monday, turning the case over to the jury. A verdict is expected in the coming days, and communities across the country are preparing for strong reactions.
“By his own individual actions, (Chauvin) shocked the conscience of America and reminded many of us and informed some of us that the American criminal justice system has not always defined and or exhibited justice in the manner in which we expect,” Barnes said. “As a black man in America, I am aware of this. And as a police officer, I acknowledge this.”
More protests have arisen following more police shootings of Black people, including Jacob Blake in Kenosha.
Barnes said he expects any protests in response to the verdict to remain nonviolent.
“Behaviors like arson, prolonged disruption of traffic patterns and physical assaults take away from the meaningful message of any demonstration,” he said. “We exercise restraint and protect people first and property second, and we pursue continuous improvement. Our department has been planning since last summer to refine the practice of crowd management, improve communications with our public and train our officers to do a better job for our Madison community.”
He said tear gas, rubber bullets and other so-called “less lethal” control methods would only be used as a last resort.
He said communication with community organizers is key to mitigating any negative effect of protests, and said a culture of “continual improvement” will help police to a better job of interacting with protesters this year.
Barnes was joined by community leaders who called for both police accountability and nonviolent protest.
Both Briarpatch of Dane County CEO Gloria Reyes and Urban League of Greater Madision CEO Ruben Anthony were sharply critical of systemic racism in policing.
“I urge our community to remain focused on progress and moving forward to confront the harsh reality of systemic racial inequity, policing, and justice,” said Reyes, a former Madison police officer. “This recurrence (of police violence) is an American issue, a consequence of years of systemic racism and white supremacy. Our nation has come to an unacceptable normal, and we must work together towards dismantling a system that allows continued harm to black communities.”
“All Americans must demand that America becomes a place that truly provides justice for all Americans, no matter what the color of your skin is,” Anthony said. “We need a country and a state where there’s not just one kind of justice for Kyle Rittenhouse and another type of justice for Jacob Blake. We need the type of justice that when we watch someone be murdered right in front of our faces, we are not told that our eyes are lying to us about what we just saw. Justice must prevail because it is the right thing. It is a moral imperative.”
Boys and Girls Club of Dane County CEO Michael Johnson said it’s on all sides to find common ground.
“My advice to MPD and to the thousands of people who are protesting is that there needs to be accountability. There needs to be healing and action on both sides of this equation,” Johnson said. “I will ask our community as this decision comes down, that we’d be respectful to each other, and that we always find our moral compass and that we look to always do the right thing. Whether you are a police officer, an elected official, a business leader, or a protestor, remember the one bad decision you make today can cause havoc on our community tomorrow. I would ask our police officers and those who manage police to continue to listen before using any form of force against those who are protesting in our streets. At the same time, I would ask those who are protested to do the same and to refrain from using confrontational tactics that can cause harm to those who are responsible for protecting our streets.
“Don’t allow anyone to pull you into destructive behavior,” he said. “It is our collective responsibility to speak up from both sides of the equation if we see someone doing something wrong. In the incident of George Floyd, there was an opportunity for several police officers to intervene. And they did nothing. Right here in this city, there were crimes being committed right here in our state capital, and many of us who were in positions of leadership sat by, and we did nothing. We must act differently this time.”
