George Floyd killing: police chief calls for ban on chokeholds – live
Chokeholds caused deaths of George Floyd and Eric Garner
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Dele Ogunrinola, center, and Ariana Jenks, right, both of Boise, join thousands at the Idaho Statehouse for a vigil in remembrance of George Floyd on Tuesday. Photograph: Darin Oswald/AP
Joan E Greve (now), Joanna Waltersand Martin Belam (earlier)
First published on Wed 3 Jun 2020 19.19 AEST
2h agoPolice chief calls for national chokehold ban
Joan E Greve (now), Joanna Waltersand Martin Belam (earlier)
First published on Wed 3 Jun 2020 19.19 AEST
2h agoPolice chief calls for national chokehold ban
4h agoBritish police leaders 'appalled and horrified' at Floyd death
4m ago00:38
Julian Borger
Defense secretary Mark Esper claimed he and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark A Milley, had planned to thank National Guard members who were on duty near the White House when they accompanied Trump to St John’s Church on Monday.
“It was also my aim and General Milley’s to meet with and thank the members of the National Guard, who are on duty that evening in the park. It is something the president likes to do as well,” Esper said.
But the cabinet secretary added, “The path we took to and from the church didn’t afford us that opportunity.”
Instead, Esper and Milley accompanied Trump to a photo op at the church, which has sparked criticism that the senior officials are politicizing the military.
“I was not aware of a photo op was happening,” Esper said. “Of course, the president drags a large press pool along with him. And look, I do everything I can to try stay apolitical and try and stay out of situations that may appear political and sometimes I’m successful with doing that, and sometimes I’m not as successful, but my aim is to keep the department out of politics, to stay apolitical.”
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12m ago00:30
Defense secretary Mark Esper said he “did know” that he was accompanying Trump to St John’s Church on Monday night, but he claimed he “was not aware that a photo op was happening.”
Esper has been widely criticized for partcipating in the photo op, with one member of the Defense Science Board even resigning over the issue.
In his resignation letter, James N Miller criticized the president for the forcible removal of protesters near the White House on Monday.
“You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force, but you could have chosen to oppose it,” Miller wrote to Esper. “Instead, you visibly supported it.”
Esper said yesterday that he believed he was accompanying Trump to Lafayette Square to inspect damage from the protests. “I thought I was going to do two things: to see some damage and to talk to the troops,” Esper told NBC News.
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12m ago00:30
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24m ago00:18
Esper opposes using Insurrection Act to send military to states
Julian Borger
Mark Esper, the defense secretary, has said there is no grounds for invoking the Insurrection Act, which Trump has threatened to do.
ABC News Politics
✔@ABCPolitics
Defense Sec. Esper: "I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act."
"The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now."
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“I’ve always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities and these situations in support of local law enforcement,” Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.
“I say this not only as Secretary of Defense, but also as a former soldier, and a former member of the National Guard, the option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act.”
On Monday night, Trump said National Guard troops must “dominate the streets” or he would use the Insurrection Act of 1807 to send military troops to the states where George Floyd protests have intensified.
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38m ago00:04
Trump contradicts reports he was taken to bunker amid protests
Trump has contradicted details of the reports that the Service Service took him to the underground bunker on Friday night as George Floyd protests unfolded near the White House, out of concern for his safety.
JM Rieger (@RiegerReport)
Trump says he went to the White House bunker for inspection:
“It was a false report. I wasn’t down— I went down during the day and I was there for a tiny, little short period of time, and it was much more for an inspection…I’ve gone down two or three times, all for inspection." pic.twitter.com/RFPi4aAsfXJune 3, 2020
The president said he had gone to the bunker during the day “for a tiny, little, short period of time,” but he claimed the visit was “more for an inspection.”
Trump said the Secret Service had encouraged the “inspection.” “They said it would be a good time to go down and take a look because maybe sometime you’re going to need it,” Trump said.
The president noted he has been to the bunker “two and half” times because he’s “done different things” while there, but he claimed moments earlier that his visits had been “all for inspection.”
Multiple outlets reported that Trump was taken to the bunker on Friday night, as the president privately expressed alarm for his own safety.
The New York Times reported:
Inside the White House, the mood was bristling with tension. Hundreds of protesters were gathering outside the gates, shouting curses at President Trump and in some cases throwing bricks and bottles. Nervous for his safety, Secret Service agents abruptly rushed the president to the underground bunker used in the past during terrorist attacks.
The scene on Friday night, described by a person with firsthand knowledge, kicked off an uneasy weekend at the White House as demonstrations spread after the brutal death of a black man in police custody under a white officer’s knee. While in the end officials said they were never really in danger, Mr. Trump and his family have been rattled by protests near the Executive Mansion that turned violent for a third night on Sunday.
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1h ago23:46
This is Joan Greve, taking over for Joanna Walters.
Ella Jones was elected as the first African-American mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, yesterday, six years after the a police officer fatally shot Michael Brown, sparking protests that drew international attention to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Jones, who serves on the Ferguson city council, is also the first woman to become the mayor of the city, and both she and her opponent have expressed support for the protests continuing across the country in response to the killing of George Floyd.
“I’ve got work to do — because when you’re an African-American woman, they require more of you than they require of my counterpart,” Jones said in a video shared by a Missouri journalist after her victory.
“I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community, and we’re going to work together to get it done.”
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1h ago23:32
David Smith
The existential choice facing America was laid bare on Tuesday, as Donald Trump and Joe Biden set out radically contrasting visions for a nation convulsed by seven nights of protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
The president visited the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, after threatening to deploy the American military against the American people and being eviscerated by church leaders for using the Bible as a political prop.
Biden, the former vice-president and presumptive Democratic nominee for president in November, delivered a sombre speech at Philadelphia’s city hall, suggesting the US is at one of the most important crossroads in its history.
A week of demonstrations were triggered by the killing of George Floyd, an African American man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes, even after Floyd stopped moving and pleaded: “I can’t breathe.”
Those words are still “echoing across this nation”, Biden said in his most high-profile public appearance since the coronavirus pandemic forced him to campaign from home.
Trump and Biden offer starkly different visions with nation at a crossroads
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2h ago22:41
Police chief calls for national chokehold ban
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Joanna Walters
A prominent US police chief has called for “sweeping reforms” to policing in the US to reverse entrenched racism and also demanded a national ban on chokeholds - the kind of restraints that killed George Floyd 10 days ago when an officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck and Eric Garner in New York in 2014 who died with a police arm around his neck.
Both men’s dying words included “I can’t breathe”, which has become a national, and even international, cry during protests against police brutality.
Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, the police chief of Durham, North Carolina, called for the ban on ABC’s Good Morning America show moments ago, and was joined by two other senior police leaders who also backed reforms.
“The emotions and feelings that we see expressed out on the streets of cities all across the country going way back are substantiated. There have been years and years of systemic racism in law enforcement,” she said.
Davis was appointed in 2016.
G. K. Butterfield (@GKButterfield)
Congratulations to Cerelyn "CJ" Davis on her appointment as Durham's next police chief! https://t.co/GT8wvikhNWpic.twitter.com/XnVwDzjnmxApril 26, 2016
ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos asked if there was a need for a nationwide ban on chokeholds “and the kind of neck restraint we saw that ended up with the death of George Floyd”.
“We not just need a nationwide ban, we need nationwide standards,” Davis said, decrying the “smorgasbord” of standards across US departments.
“We need sweeping changes that are supported with legislation..to ensure that every agency large and small have the best practices in place or we are going to continue to see these..we don’t want to see this any more.”
Terrence Monahan, chief of department at the New York Police Department, said that all police leaders needed to “take a good hard look at their agency, to bridge the gap between cops and community.”
He added that dialogue was crucial. “Whatever reforms there are it’s important that we see one another as human,” he said.
Houston’s police chief, Art Acevedo, echoed the Texas governor in rejecting Donald Trump’s threat to send the US military into states that don’t control the protests and “dominate” their streets.
“This is Texas, cities are safe, things are going well here, we do not need any support in terms of federal troops.” He said the local departments were trusted by their communities “by and large”. And he added he was honored that George Floyd’s family had invited the police to help them organize the man’s funeral next week, in his native Houston.
3h ago21:41
NYPD chief claims Cuomo has apologised for criticism
NYPD chief Terence Monahan has been doing the TV round this morning - appearing on Today
He said an earlier curfew helped take out of neighborhoods “people who didn’t belong there” and that officers had allowed peaceful protests to continue beyond 8pm. He said those who had broken off from the main groups “looking to cause mayhem” had been rapidly dealt with.
He also responded to criticism from Governor Andrew Cuomo, saying that he should never call his officers ineffective, and said that last night “[Cuomo’s] office called and apologised to me” and said the Cuomo had called the commissioner directly to apologise.
You can watch the full interview here:
TODAY (@TODAYshow)
Watch @savannahguthrie’s full interview with @NYPDChiefofDept about the department’s response to protests and the effectiveness of an earlier curfew. pic.twitter.com/TSFh4pkmqmJune 3, 2020
Monahan’s comments don’t entirely square with Associated Press reports that two of their journalists were surrounded, shoved and had expletives yelled at them while simply trying to cover the protests in New York last night.
In a video clip, videojournalist Robert Bumsted is heard explaining to the officers that the press are considered “essential workers” and are allowed to be on the streets. An officer responds “I don’t give a shit.” Another tells Bumsted “get the fuck out of here you piece of shit.”
3h ago21:21
British PM Johnson says Floyd killing 'appalling' and 'inexcusable'
British prime minister Boris Johnson has described the death of George Floyd as “appalling” and “inexcusable” in the British parliament - but he also cautioned protests to stay “lawful and reasonable”.
There is a weekly session in London where the prime minister is grilled by MPs, and this week Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK’s main opposition Labour party, opened by saying:
“Can I start by expressing shock and anger at the death of George Floyd. This has shone a light on racism and hatred experienced by many in the US and beyond.”
He want on to castigate Johnson for his lack of response so far, urging the UK to send a strong message to the US president:
“I’m surprised the prime minister hasn’t said anything about this yet, but I do hope that next time he speaks to President Trump he will convey to him the UK’s abhorrence about his response to the events.”
Congratulations to Cerelyn "CJ" Davis on her appointment as Durham's next police chief! https://t.co/GT8wvikhNWpic.twitter.com/XnVwDzjnmxApril 26, 2016
ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos asked if there was a need for a nationwide ban on chokeholds “and the kind of neck restraint we saw that ended up with the death of George Floyd”.
“We not just need a nationwide ban, we need nationwide standards,” Davis said, decrying the “smorgasbord” of standards across US departments.
“We need sweeping changes that are supported with legislation..to ensure that every agency large and small have the best practices in place or we are going to continue to see these..we don’t want to see this any more.”
Terrence Monahan, chief of department at the New York Police Department, said that all police leaders needed to “take a good hard look at their agency, to bridge the gap between cops and community.”
He added that dialogue was crucial. “Whatever reforms there are it’s important that we see one another as human,” he said.
Houston’s police chief, Art Acevedo, echoed the Texas governor in rejecting Donald Trump’s threat to send the US military into states that don’t control the protests and “dominate” their streets.
“This is Texas, cities are safe, things are going well here, we do not need any support in terms of federal troops.” He said the local departments were trusted by their communities “by and large”. And he added he was honored that George Floyd’s family had invited the police to help them organize the man’s funeral next week, in his native Houston.
3h ago21:41
NYPD chief claims Cuomo has apologised for criticism
NYPD chief Terence Monahan has been doing the TV round this morning - appearing on Today
He said an earlier curfew helped take out of neighborhoods “people who didn’t belong there” and that officers had allowed peaceful protests to continue beyond 8pm. He said those who had broken off from the main groups “looking to cause mayhem” had been rapidly dealt with.
He also responded to criticism from Governor Andrew Cuomo, saying that he should never call his officers ineffective, and said that last night “[Cuomo’s] office called and apologised to me” and said the Cuomo had called the commissioner directly to apologise.
You can watch the full interview here:
TODAY (@TODAYshow)
Watch @savannahguthrie’s full interview with @NYPDChiefofDept about the department’s response to protests and the effectiveness of an earlier curfew. pic.twitter.com/TSFh4pkmqmJune 3, 2020
Monahan’s comments don’t entirely square with Associated Press reports that two of their journalists were surrounded, shoved and had expletives yelled at them while simply trying to cover the protests in New York last night.
In a video clip, videojournalist Robert Bumsted is heard explaining to the officers that the press are considered “essential workers” and are allowed to be on the streets. An officer responds “I don’t give a shit.” Another tells Bumsted “get the fuck out of here you piece of shit.”
3h ago21:21
British PM Johnson says Floyd killing 'appalling' and 'inexcusable'
British prime minister Boris Johnson has described the death of George Floyd as “appalling” and “inexcusable” in the British parliament - but he also cautioned protests to stay “lawful and reasonable”.
There is a weekly session in London where the prime minister is grilled by MPs, and this week Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK’s main opposition Labour party, opened by saying:
“Can I start by expressing shock and anger at the death of George Floyd. This has shone a light on racism and hatred experienced by many in the US and beyond.”
He want on to castigate Johnson for his lack of response so far, urging the UK to send a strong message to the US president:
“I’m surprised the prime minister hasn’t said anything about this yet, but I do hope that next time he speaks to President Trump he will convey to him the UK’s abhorrence about his response to the events.”
British prime minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, London, today Photograph: House of Commons/PA
For his part, Johnson responded: “I think what happened in the United States was appalling, it was inexcusable. We all saw it on our screens, and I perfectly understand people’s right to protest, though obviously I also believe that protests should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.”
Updated at 9.27pm AEST
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4h ago21:01
Fatima Bhutto has written for us today about yesterday’s #blackout tuesday and #theshowmustbepaused campaigns, which she scathingly dismisses as “a facile attempt at armchair activism”.
At exactly the moment when power requires interrogation and urgent reckoning, social media users, celebrities and influencers rallied for silence.
Whereas 24 hours earlier, users had been posting legal information, names of pro bono lawyers and bail funds, filming videos of wanton cruelty and abuses of power, now they were shtum, save for the sanctimonious black squares.
You can read the full piece here: Fatima Bhutto - As responses to George Floyd’s death go, #BlackOutTuesday was embarrassing
As responses to George Floyd's death go, #BlackOutTuesday was embarrassing
Fatima Bhutto
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4h ago20:54
More details are emerging about the death of retired police captain David Dorn in St Louis, Missouri, after his widow, St. Louis police Sgt. Ann Marie Dorn, spoke to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He was apparently killed by people who had broken into a pawn shop. His widow said Dorn frequently checked on Lee’s Pawn & Jewelry when alarms went off, as he was a friend of the owner.
According to the Associated Press, Dorn’s last moments were caught on video and apparently posted on Facebook Live, though the video has since been taken down. His body was found on the sidewalk at about 2:30am. No arrests have yet been made.
For his part, Johnson responded: “I think what happened in the United States was appalling, it was inexcusable. We all saw it on our screens, and I perfectly understand people’s right to protest, though obviously I also believe that protests should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.”
Updated at 9.27pm AEST
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4h ago21:01
Fatima Bhutto has written for us today about yesterday’s #blackout tuesday and #theshowmustbepaused campaigns, which she scathingly dismisses as “a facile attempt at armchair activism”.
At exactly the moment when power requires interrogation and urgent reckoning, social media users, celebrities and influencers rallied for silence.
Whereas 24 hours earlier, users had been posting legal information, names of pro bono lawyers and bail funds, filming videos of wanton cruelty and abuses of power, now they were shtum, save for the sanctimonious black squares.
You can read the full piece here: Fatima Bhutto - As responses to George Floyd’s death go, #BlackOutTuesday was embarrassing
As responses to George Floyd's death go, #BlackOutTuesday was embarrassing
Fatima Bhutto
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4h ago20:54
More details are emerging about the death of retired police captain David Dorn in St Louis, Missouri, after his widow, St. Louis police Sgt. Ann Marie Dorn, spoke to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He was apparently killed by people who had broken into a pawn shop. His widow said Dorn frequently checked on Lee’s Pawn & Jewelry when alarms went off, as he was a friend of the owner.
According to the Associated Press, Dorn’s last moments were caught on video and apparently posted on Facebook Live, though the video has since been taken down. His body was found on the sidewalk at about 2:30am. No arrests have yet been made.
David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired St. Louis police officer who served 38 years on the force was shot and killed by looters at a pawn shop early Tuesday Photograph: Scott Bandle/AP77 year old Dorn had served 38 years on the St. Louis police force before retiring in October 2007.
The Ethical Society of Police, which represents black officers in St. Louis, said in a news release that Dorn was “the type of brother that would’ve given his life to save them if he had to.”
They’ve also just tweeted this message about Dorn.
Ethical Society of Police - ESOP (@ESOP_STL)
To put into context how much Captain Dorn believed in being apart of the neighborhoods he once policed in, we would often see him walking his dog in North St. Louis or shopping at a store nearby. Most current and retired officers leave the city as soon as they can. https://t.co/rFa2VCEsoOJune 3, 2020
Former St. Louis County police Chief Tim Fitch knew Dorn for 30 years, and he said: “He was very dedicated to youth, especially disadvantaged youth. He wanted to see them succeed. He wanted to be a role model for those young men and women to go into law enforcement.
“He was a fun guy, a happy guy. You never had to wonder what he was thinking when somebody did something incredibly stupid like a crime because he would just say it as he saw it.”
4h ago20:40
Eric Trump is up and tweeting as well - and he’s just retweeted a string of angry tweets from his father last night, where the president confirmed that this year’s Republican National Convention will not now be taking place in North Carolina.
Donald Trump says it is because the Democrat state governor Roy Cooper won’t guarantee that all coronavirus restrictions will be lifted in the state in time for the event.
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love. Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena - Spend millions of dollars, have everybody arrive, and...June 3, 2020
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
...millions of dollars, and jobs, for the State. Because of @NC_Governor, we are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention.June 3, 2020
Trump had been threatening to move the location of the event for some time.
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4h ago20:36
British police leaders 'appalled and horrified' at Floyd death
Vikram Dodd
In a rare statement of condemnation of the actions of officers in a fellow democracy, British police leaders have said they are “appalled and horrified” by the killing of George Floyd.
The statement is from Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Mike Cunningham, Chief Executive of the College of Policing and Paul Griffiths, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association. It says: “We stand alongside all those across the globe who are appalled and horrified by the way George Floyd lost his life. Justice and accountability should follow.
“We are also appalled to see the violence and damage that has happened in so many US cities since then. Our hearts go out to all those affected by these terrible events and hope that peace and order will soon be restored.
“In the UK we have a long established tradition of policing by consent, working in communities to prevent crime and solve problems. Officers are trained to use force proportionately, lawfully and only when absolutely necessary. We strive to continuously learn and improve. We will tackle bias, racism or discrimination wherever we find it.
“Policing is complex and challenging and sometimes we fall short. When we do, we are not afraid to shine a light on injustices or to be held to account.”
The statement urges those in the UK who want to protest to obey lockdown rules restricting how many people can gather together.
Updated at 8.46pm AEST
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4h ago20:28
My colleague Matthew Teague has been in Fairhope, Alabama, speaking to evangelical Christians about that controversial Donald Trump photo with the bible from earlier in the week.
President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John’s Church across Lafayette Park Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
“It was the coolest thing he could do. What more could he do, wear blue jeans and ride in on a horse?” said one of them, interpreting it with the symbolism of the Israelites walking seven times around Jericho, whose walls then came crashing down.
You can read Matthew’s full report here:
“It was the coolest thing he could do. What more could he do, wear blue jeans and ride in on a horse?” said one of them, interpreting it with the symbolism of the Israelites walking seven times around Jericho, whose walls then came crashing down.
You can read Matthew’s full report here:
'He wears the armor of God': evangelicals hail Trump's church photo op
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