Resolution Related to the Murder of George Floyd

South Burlington City Council Resolution related to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis Minnesota and the protests and violence that has occurred in the aftermath

WHEREAS, George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while he was handcuffed and lying face down on the road; and

Signing documentsWHEREAS, the killing was recorded by bystanders and those recordings show Floyd pleading that he couldn't breathe; and

WHEREAS, Floyd's death is the latest in a long list of African-Americans killed in encounters with police; and

WHEREAS, a National Academy of Sciences report found in 2019 that African-American men and boys are two and a half times more likely to die in an encounter with the police than their white peers; and

WHEREAS, the senseless killing of George Floyd has sparked outrage and calls for justice nationwide; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the City Council of South Burlington strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd and stands with black and brown people in our country seeking equality, justice, and enjoyment of freedom, and be it further

RESOLVED, the City Council requests that the South Burlington Police Department review its operating, recruitment and training policies to ensure that this type of police behavior will never occur in our city.