Statement on the Events in Minneapolis

Pullman – Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends Mr. George Floyd, whose tragic death this week shocked and horrified our nation.

Every officer in our police depart- ment, and throughout the country, should be disgusted by what has oc- curred in Minneapolis. Not only are we disgusted by the actions of the officer directly responsible for the death of Mr. Floyd, but also by the lack of interven- tion by the other officers who, by sim- ply standing by, were complicit in his death. Those who are complicit in inci- dents like this must also be held ac- countable.

There are many in our commu- nity who are supporters of the police, and who may have conflicted feelings about how to react to this video. In many instances, more context is needed in order to effectively judge po- lice conduct shown on video, but this is not one of those instances. You can sup- port the police without supporting the actions of these officers. The officers

and staff of the Pullman Police Depart- ment share the disgust that many of you feel after seeing the callous and in- different attitude of officers who watched Mr. Floyd plead for help. Po- lice brutality is not law enforcement. Any officer who abuses their power, or who stands by and allows it to happen, does not deserve to wear the badge.

What is depicted in this video is not representative of who we are as law enforcement professionals. We ac- tively seek and complete training to help us prepare for the safe manage- ment of these types of situations, to en- sure the safety of everyone involved. On the day of Mr. Floyd's death, there were literally millions of encounters and interactions with public safety professionals throughout our country that were peaceful, respectful, and which resulted in cooperative problem- solving. The failures revealed in this incident should not tarnish the hard work and sacrifice of the vast majority of officers who do the right thing on every shift, every day.

The core values of the Pullman Police Department are integrity, dedi- cation, courage, trust, and respect. Any conduct that is inconsistent with these values undermines the trust that the public places in us. Every sworn mem- ber of the Pullman Police Department took an oath to uphold the Constitu- tion and to protect the rights of all cit- izens. Our effectiveness and the community's trust will continue only if we maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and reject actions that do not meet those standards. I am committed to the continued pursuit of these ideals for our community.

We stand with our community against violence, regardless of the per- petrator. When you call for help, we are here to help. This is a simple matter of right and wrong. We are here to do right.

(GARY JENKINS is the Pull- man Police Cheif.)