Is Fresno ready for reaction to Chauvin verdict? What pastors, other city leaders say
Fresno clergy, elected officials and law enforcement leaders on Tuesday called for justice, peace and healing in the city in reaction to the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis.
Shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday, the verdict was announced. The jury convicted Chauvin in the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck as Floyd pleaded “I can’t breathe.” Chauvin was fired from the Minneapolis Police Department, and protests erupted nationwide, including in Fresno.
In the hours leading up to the verdict announcement, the African American Clergy Caucus prayed for “justice to roll down like water” in front of the MLK Memorial in Fresno’s Courthouse Park during a news conference.
“We pray and desire for justice for the family of George Floyd, and that the verdict will be the beginning of true justice for any person who dies because of the unlawful and immoral behavior of a police officer,” said Pastor B.T. Lewis, the leader of the African American Clergy Caucus.
The clergy caucus was joined by Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama. They urged residents to assemble peacefully so the community could move forward and heal in unity.
Dyer acknowledged the pain caused by Floyd’s murder.
“I know that this trial has brought up a lot of horrible thoughts and memories in the eyes of people,” he said. “I stand here today as mayor. I stand here today as a white man. So it is impossible for me to understand the hurt and the pain that a Black man or Black woman feels in our community or in America. But I want them to know that we stand with them, as the mayor of this city. We stand together united for justice, for peace and for unity.”
“I recognize that this is a very important verdict in America today and a very important verdict within our own community,” Dyer said. “…This verdict will have a tremendous impact on our community as we collectively move forward.
Balderrama at the news conference on Tuesday said police were prepared to provide a safe place for a demonstration, and he expected any protest would remain peaceful the way they did in the past.
The protest in Fresno last year is believed to be the largest ever held here and was lauded as an example of how to express pain and anger without resorting to violence or destruction.
Tuesday evening rally outside City Hall
After the guilty verdict was announced, Fresno State’s NAACP chapter announced it is organizing a Tuesday evening celebration and discussion in front of City Hall (6:30-8 p.m.) about what the verdict means for the the Black Lives Matter movement in Fresno.
Floyd’s killing also sparked city leaders to create the Fresno Commission for Police Reform, which submitted over 70 recommendations for city leaders to adopt. Dyer said he expects at least 23 of them to be carried out.
“After 2020 and the many things that happened throughout that year, policing will never be the same again,” he said. “We must make improvements. We must change the way we do our jobs, and we must better serve our communities. At the end of the day, we are public servants, and we should act accordingly.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 12:21 PM.