With the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, many hope it is the beginning of change.
One of the things in discussion of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which has made its way to the U.S. Senate.
Local law enforcement agencies discussed the case and how the Policing Act would affect them.
“I had a bunch of feelings. I’ve always said I’ve been in the profession for 33 (years) and I’ve been a black male for 56 and you can’t separate those two things,” said Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton.
READ: Metro Detroit leaders on what needs to happen next following Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict
“I think we got it right. I think justice was served,” said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.
“It was a sigh of relief that the jury got it right, convicting him of murdering Mr. George Floyd on all three counts,” said Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren.
It was a sigh of relief among several top leaders in local law enforcement agencies. All of them echoed that the justice system worked.
“I felt relieved in the sense that, quite frankly, the professional side of me was really worried about a different verdict and how folks were going to respond,” Clayton said.
READ: Activists hope Chauvin convictions are start to real change
Now politicians in Washington D.C. are discussing the George Floyd Justice for Policing Act. It addresses excessive force, restrictions on no-knock warrants, body cams and the use of chokeholds.
Clayton said a lot of what’s discussed in the act is already in place for police departments.
“If there is an incident, we have the video evidence to support the incident, and that way if we’re wrong, we’ll hold ourself accountable,” Barren said.
“I don’t like the chokehold. I think there are other things that we can do,” Washington said.