Minnesota State Police today arrested Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis cop who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck causing his death. A more timely arrest might have headed off the rioting which began Wednesday evening in Minneapolis and accelerated last night.
However, the violence and rioting has already begun to spread. And feckless mayors and police chiefs in other cities have done nothing but embolden demonstrators with their generally weak responses.
The arrest of the Chauvin will be seen by most Americans as a step in the right direction. The AP (via Q13Fox) has the story of former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin’s arrest.
The Minneapolis officer who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died in custody after pleading that he could not breathe, was arrested Friday.
Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said state investigators arrested Derek Chauvin.
The arrest comes after three days of protests, which escalated in violence as demonstrators torched a police precinct that had been abandoned by officers.
The delay in making the arrest has emboldened the rioters in Minneapolis. And thanks to a lack of leadership on the part of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and his inept police chief, the feral mobs have faced little to no resistance. In fact, The City of Lakes has given the entire nation a front-row seat of what very a lack of leadership looks like.
After the Minneapolis mayor and police chief withdrew police officers and abandoned a precinct, hooligans moved in. Soon they set fire to the police precinct headquarters with cameras rolling (at about 3:53:00 in the video below).
Nearly 200 businesses suffered property damage, looting and in some cases arson. In many cases, neither police nor firefighters responded to their pleas for help.
People stand outside the Minneapolis police 3rd Precinct building after fires were set at the building, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis, during demonstrations over the death George Floyd on Monday in Minneapolis police custody. (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP)
Cops made very few arrests, despite watching serious felonies happen right in front of them (except for a CNN reporter who was arrested on-air). And although CNN’s fake news buffoonery may make them an easy target for ridicule by President Trump and most of America, the arrest of the reporter while doing nothing illegal, immoral or even fattening simply makes the Minneapolis police look even more unprofessional.
This is how the situation unfolded as a CNN crew was taken into custody amid protests in Minneapolis early on Friday morning: https://t.co/842h3a8dAc
— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2020
Disturbingly, the unrest has spread to other cities. Raucous demonstrations took place in Denver, Memphis, Columbus (OH) and Phoenix. And in Louisville seven people suffered gunshot wounds when “peaceful demonstrators” had a “disagreement” among one another.
The violent mobs even trashed the mainstream media’s narrative of what constitutes “peaceful demonstrators.” MSNBC had its own “Baghdad Bob” moment last night courtesy of reporter Ali Velshi.
The “this is fine” meme has come to life.
MSNBC reporter in Minneapolis: “I want to be clear on how I characterize this. This is mostly a protest. It is not generally speaking unruly.“pic.twitter.com/SLUSXqg2R4
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 29, 2020
Ultimately, until and unless the rioters are met with force, they will continue to grow bolder and more destructive. And that won’t help the overwhelming majority of good people in these cities whose lives and livelihoods are at stake.
Hopefully state and local leaders will do what they need to do to stop the rioting, looting and arson in America’s cities. President Trump has chimed in on the matter as well. So there’s no doubt that Mayor Frey and others know the spotlight is on them.
I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
If local leaders can’t find the spine to reestablish law and order, sooner or later, law-abiding gun-owning Americans will step up to the plate. Everyday good people won’t sit idly by for long as rabid crowds destroy a couple hundred businesses a night and victimize innocent people to no end.
Eventually everyday Americans will have had enough.