And a disproportionate number of civilians killed every year are Black. Legal action was taken against 104 officers in murder or manslaughter cases between 20. More than 6,000 civilians were killed by officers over a five-year period beginning in 2013, according to data reported by Time. Officer convictions for killing civilians are rare. It was equally dehumanizing when Tulsa officer Betty Shelby was acquitted in 2017 after she shot and killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed Black man who was standing by the side of the road on a dark night, trying to get help starting his broken down vehicle. It was a grave and depressing insult when the officer who killed Breonna Taylor after barging into her apartment and shooting her in the middle of the night wasn't charged in her death. But as Black Americans, we've grown to expect that pain and humiliation. The fact that so much evidence against a man like Chauvin, who had nearly two dozen complaints on his record, still has a strong chance of resulting in a not-guilty verdict is insulting. There is no doubt that a guilty verdict in such an overwhelmingly clear case shouldn't feel like a victory. Near the courthouse in Minneapolis in April 2021. The show opened with four anchors (two white, two Black) sitting at the KDBD 'Eye on Minnesota' news desk.Īfter they all agree on how horrible Chauvin's actions were, the white anchorwoman declares that 'there's no way Derek Chauvin walks away from this.' The prosecution needs such an overwhelmingly detailed case because they know what Black people have lived for centuries: Racism and implicit bias (whether from police or a jury) mean we lose, even when we should win.Ī recent 'Saturday Night Live' cold open perfectly captured the gap between Black skepticism and white certainty when it comes to the Chauvin verdict: In that same poll, the difference is significantly smaller between whites who think he should be found guilty and those who think he will. While nearly 80% of Black adults say Chauvin should be found guilty of murder, only 42% think he will be, according to a poll conducted this month by The Economist and YouGov. Racism, implicit bias mean losing instead of winning Demonstrators protest near the courthouse on April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis.

Chauvin verdict not guilty