Sheriff drops his baton to listen to protesters – they chanted “walk with us,” so thats exactly what he did
By Mike-Ross
A Sheriff chose to join protesters in Flint Township during the weekend, dropping his baton and informing those gathered that he wanted a parade, not a protest.
As reported by CNN, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson let everyone on Saturday that protested the death of George Floyd know that he and the other cops in riot gear were there to make sure the public had a voice.
In a video uploaded to Twitter, Swanson can be heard saying: “The only reason we’re here is to make sure that you got a voice — that’s it. These cops love you — that cop over there hugs people.”
After trading words and high-fives, the crowd began to chant “walk with us”. So Sheriff Swanson did just that.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” he said. “Where do you want to walk? We’ll walk all night.”
Tensions are running high right now all over the U.S. as a result of George Floyd’s death.
Described as a “gentle giant” by his family, Floyd passed away after being pinned to the ground by three officers in Minneapolis, despite being in handcuffs. One of those officers, Derek Chauvin, was seen on camera kneeling on his neck. Chauvin has since been charged with murder.
Swanson addressed Floyd’s death on Friday, writing a Facebook post that read:
“On Friday Swanson addressed George Floyd’s death via a Facebook post.”I join with the chorus of citizens and law enforcement officials alike, calling for the swift arrest and prosecution of each police officer involved in this appalling crime.
“The actions we witnessed on that video destroy countless efforts to bolster community policing efforts across our nation, and erode trust that is painstakingly built.”
Following the video of Sheriff Swanson talking to demonstrators, as well as laying down his baton and walking with them, people took to social media to praise his actions.
Protesting without causing violence is the obvious route most are backing, though frustrations aimed at President Donald Trump’s government and the numerous cases of recent police brutality will not be forgotten.
Be sure to share this story if you think Sheriff Swanson did a great job, and that America needs more police officers like him!
Featured image and facebook image credited to Mid-Michigan now on FOX66 & NBC25 via YouTube
You are currently reading about Sheriff drops his baton to listen to protesters – they chanted “walk with us,” so thats exactly what he did. If you've found this helpful, please share Sheriff drops his baton to listen to protesters – they chanted “walk with us,” so thats exactly what he did on your favorite social media site, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
