Prosecutors are charged with seeking justice and preserving the safety of all members of the communities we serve. Truth and accountability are the bedrock principles underlying these obligations. In this spirit, the ADDA denounces the killing of George Floyd as an egregious act of police misconduct and grave injustice that demands an honest, thorough investigation and, ultimately, meaningful accountability of all involved.
We express our deepest sympathy and offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Floyd, the community of Minneapolis, and communities across the country who are grieving.
Mr. Floyd’s killing is a clear example of criminal conduct that has harmed our communities – especially the African-American community – for generations. Police brutality violates our most cherished values: human rights, civil rights, and public safety. It will not be tolerated. These violent acts erode confidence and trust in the criminal justice system and stain the reputation of a profession whose main objective is protecting all members of the public, equally, and preserving the sanctity of life. What happened to Mr. Floyd was unnecessary and preventable. We hope that due process results in justice. Those responsible for his death, must be held accountable.
The ADDA stands unified with the community in seeking justice in the face of police brutality.
The ADDA stands unified with the community in supporting the peaceful protests in honor of Mr. Floyd and in pursuit of ending any injustice that harms any of the diverse people of our communities.
We stand unified with the community in condemning those individuals who have taken advantage of the circumstances for their own personal gain through their acts of violence, theft, destruction of property, and assaults on peace officers. These individuals should not distract attention from the critically important conversations that need to take place to ensure that this does not happen again.
The ADDA looks forward to working alongside our community to end the inequities in justice.
Justice is for all. We are listening. We are ready to work for a better community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice and the safeguarding of crime victims’ rights.