HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- In a letter to Henrico County Police officers, Police Chief Humberto I. “Hum” Cardounel, Jr. denounced the actions of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd and urged his officers to consider the impact of his actions on the Central Virginia community.
"Henrico Police and our entire community is deeply affected by what occurred in Minneapolis. We share in the pain and anguish felt across the country and in our community," the Police Department said in a tweet.
Henrico Police and our entire community is deeply affected by what occurred in Minneapolis. We share in the pain and anguish felt across the country and in our community . We are sharing the message Chief Cardounel sent this afternoon to every member of the Division. pic.twitter.com/vQxdRLctZd
— Henrico Police (@HenricoPolice) May 29, 2020
On May 25, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was seen on camera kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed African American man who had been arrested and handcuffed.
In all, Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds, including nearly three minutes after Floyd stopped moving and talking, the complaint said.
On Friday, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
"Although we are miles from Minneapolis, the impact here is very real," Cardounel Jr. wrote. "The images we have all seen depict something we cannot condone as acceptable. One man's actions may have caused the death of another, but the inaction of those that stood alongside are just as complicit."
