VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The verdict is in on the Derek Chauvin case, but the fight for racial equality and police reform continues — that’s what many are saying across the nation.
The Virginia Beach NAACP says the verdict should not be celebrated, but seen as an example of change in the criminal justice system.
It started when a video of George Floyd pinned to ground by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin circulated widely across the web.
Not long after Floyd’s May 25, 2020 murder, protests and riots all across the globe began calling for justice.
On Tuesday, a year later, when the judge read the guilty verdicts on all three charges against Chauvin, there may have been a sigh of relief for many. But Virginia Beach NAACP President Dr. Karen Hills-Pruden said there is no celebration
“I’m not one to get overly excited about one court case. Of course, there has been many who have had interactions with law enforcement, and it has not played out as well within the justice system,” she said.
Hills-Pruden said, hearing the news, she felt comforted the judicial system worked in the favor of those wanting justice for Floyd.
They are still fighting for justice for all people.
“I believe that accountability was applied in the in the verdict yesterday. It will never be justice because George Floyd has gone but officer Chauvin was held accountable for what he did,” she said.
She said in local cases involving an officer-involved shooting, they are working for the same results.
A key player in that is citizen video recording, she believes.
“Think about what you saw on that video and think about that happening. Not in a well-lit area? Who would be able to say anything? So we have to rely on video and camera to tell our story. Because when we tell it from our mouths, no one listens,” she said.
Hills-Pruden says they are simply taking Chauvin’s case as an example and will continue to fight for the facts and changes so other families may feel relief.