Hundreds of people gathered in Santa Cruz, California on Saturday to kneel in memory of George Floyd – including Police Chief Andy Mills.
Mills posted his own photo of the protest, with the comment, “A small portion of the protest was very peaceful. Black Lives Do Matter. “
The chief had previously issued a message to local residents about the death of George Floyd – condemning former policeman Derek Chauvin.
“The actions of Chauvin and the people around him are the opposite of what we view as good policing. Other officers have a duty to intervene and stop this cruel attack, and they fail,” Said Mills.
“SCPD fully supports peaceful protests in Santa Cruz City – and we always keep them safe,” the department wrote.
Protesters knelt as they marched through Harlem during a solidarity meeting for George Floyd today.The AP
Mills has made several statements in the last few days slamming the police involved in Floyd’s death.
“If a police officer sees a criminal kneeling on the neck of a police officer who choked him to death, will they wait to make an arrest? How is this different? ” Mills tweeted.
Mills’s comments come when police across the country have taken drastic steps to control protesters, including tear gas, rubber bullets – and even hit them with patrol cars.
