CMPD Prepared For Celebrations, Protests Following Verdict: Chief

CHARLOTTE, NC — In the moments following the jury conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings made a call for responsible police reform.

"We respect the jury’s decision and their commitment to justice. The trial has concluded, but the work involving responsible police reform must continue," Jennings said, via Twitter immediately following the verdict announcement.

"Only by engaging in continued constructive dialogue can law enforcement and community members strengthen relationships that are at the heart of safe communities. It will require a commitment from all of us," he said.

SEE ALSO: Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty On All Counts

A Hennepin County jury found Chauvin guilty on all counts, including both third and second-degree murder in the Memorial Day 2020 death of George Floyd. Chauvin was also convicted of second-degree manslaughter.

After the verdict was read, Chauvin was immediately taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs as his defense attorney, Eric Nelson, watched.

Chauvin, who is white, was charged in the death of Floyd, a Black man who died after Chauvin kneeled on him for more than nine minutes despite Floyd's protests that he could not breathe. Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests demanding racial justice and police reform.

Chauvin now faces a max of 75 years in prison under Minnesota law.

For weeks, Charlotte police have prepared for the day the verdict would be announced.

"In preparation for this we knew there would be two possible outcomes," with either celebrations or outrage for the verdict, Jennings said. "We are prepared either way."

Last June, days of protests rocked Charlotte and the nation following Floyd's death. CMPD's actions while responding to the demonstrations drew fire, however after peaceful protests spiraled into chaos after dark when CMPD officers broke up crowds with pepper balls, tear gas and flash bang stun grenades. The incident sparked intense criticism and a pledge by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to review the incident to ensure proper protocol was followed.

Jennings said Tuesday evening that CMPD is now no longer using tear gas for crowd control.

"The approach that we have to do is to make sure we're not a contributory factor in any of the incidents that are taking place," he said.

"For the most part, people want to be heard. People want to be seen. We want to be able to facilitate that and not take it into another level," he added.

The actions in the courtroom more than 1,000 miles away will have a ripple effect here, the chief said.

"The justice system in Minneapolis, I think they did what they had to do. The system did what it was supposed to and that goes a long way in building trust within the community, particularly even here in Charlotte," he said.

"I think our officers realize that when you step out of boundaries, then we have to be accountable for that," he said. "The message is we have a job to do regardless, and know how difficult it is. We know how split-second decisions can have a big factor not just in their lives but the lives of the people we come in contact with, so that responsibility is a great burden that we have to be able to take on, and we took an oath to do so."

Patch editor William Bornhoft contributed