Flint sheriff marches with protesters

Brut America

"I have no problem calling out law enforcement because I am one."   Here's why Sheriff Chris Swanson laid his baton down and marched with Black Lives Matter protesters in Flint.

Transcript

00:00I took my helmet off and I walked into the crowd because it shows vulnerability and cops

00:12don't like vulnerability.

00:14Many times our culture is that's a sign of weakness, but it's actually a sign of strength.

00:18And in a relationship, no matter what people want real.

00:22And what happened is a tipping point in police public relations came because George Floyd's

00:28death that changed American policing and it should.

00:33I want to make this a parade, not a protest.

00:36You got little ones here, you got dogs, so what's up?

00:42So listen, I'm just telling you, these cops love you.

00:45That cop over there hugs people, so you tell us what you need to do.

00:51Black leaders! Black leaders! Black leaders!

01:03There was so much tension that had been building after eight minutes and 40 seconds of video

01:09destroyed years of community relations.

01:13And every day from that incident, you could feel that tension around the country.

01:19You could feel the righteous anger.

01:21We marched for a mile and a half.

01:23Since then, we've had four nights of protests in the thousands.

01:27No arrests, no fires, no injuries.

01:50How about another 30 for all the others that we need to celebrate?

01:56There's more than just George Floyd, is that right?

02:02And I've said this before and I have no problem calling out law enforcement because I am one.

02:06Get in the street, get in the street and be real.

02:09Be real with people so they can see that side to recognize, hey, that lady, that guy, they

02:14run that police agency and they're here with us.

02:16Don't do it for a photo op.

02:20It's not about just the George Floyds, it's the Eric Garner's of the world.

02:35It's everybody down.

02:37My office is down in Georgia.

02:39Everybody, all the police forces need to make sure that they're doing things the right way.

02:43They need to focus on the training, the policies.

02:46A person should never have a knee set on their neck when they're crying out, telling

02:51them I'm here for my life.

02:58I definitely understand the frustration.

03:00I understand the anger, not only being in Flint, but as a black man.

03:05And as Juan said, this stuff has to stop.

03:09I'm grateful to have a relationship with the sheriff and other law enforcement to say this

03:15was just the beginning of a relationship for others who may not have known.

03:19This was the beginning of communication.

03:22This was the beginning of a listening session.

03:24So that way, when cameras leave or when things seem to go down some, this now will continue

03:32to engage in further conversation.

03:34And if there's further issues, when there's no cameras around, at least Juan knows that

03:38he can at least come to the sheriff and say, you know what, I need to sit down and have

03:43a conversation with you about something that happened so I can understand.

03:46Police need to hear the voice of the people and have to call out wrong when wrong is wrong.

03:51And we deal with that in our own agency.

03:53I've got a guy in jail right now who committed a sexual assault while on duty, charged with

03:57life offenses.

03:58We're working a case right now where a guy used excessive force.

04:01I mean, we're never going to get away from that.

04:03But the key is, you've got to call it out when it happens.

04:06And you can try to discipline it and train it out, but there's a point in time where

04:10you've got to cut it out.

04:11And when you start doing that, which in this office, we're blessed to have done it over

04:1580 times in the last 15 years.

04:17We fire people.

04:18I've arrested my own people.

04:19I've charged my own people.

04:20I love cops, but I don't want anybody in our uniform that violates a law, that breaks

04:26dignity, that is racially charged.

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