OC Resolution Supports Both BLM Protesters And Law Enforcement

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A resolution supporting local law enforcement and protesters was passed Tuesday by the Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a resolution supporting local law enforcement as well as activists who protest the killing of George Floyd.

Supervisor Don Wagner proposed the resolution that was adopted by all. Unifying the message between the positive influence of Orange County Sheriff's Department and the needs of the protesters, the supervisors shared a positive message of unity for the entirety of the county.

Sheriff Don Barnes was on hand to decry the brutality that led to Floyd's death.

Supervisor Wagner discussed those who are protesting police brutality that led to George Floyd's death. Those actions have "rightly incensed so many people around this country" to protest.

Wagner added, "it is also important to try in this resolution to recognize there are good men and women on the front line of law enforcement."

Wagner characterized Floyd's arrest, with the carotid restraint of an officer kneeling on his neck for eight minutes, 46 seconds. Floyd could not breathe and cried out for his mother.

Wagner wanted to focus on the fact that local law enforcement "are doing a very difficult, but by and large very professional job" as they respond to multiple protests that have sprung up after the death of Floyd and others in recent weeks.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said there have been "well over three dozen" protests "with more to come."

Barnes said his "primary objective" is to "support the First Amendment rights of people peacefully protesting."

Barnes said he was "very proud of the professionalism and restraint" shown by his department "over the past two weeks."

Barnes said he has never seen a police technique involving placing a knee on the neck of a suspect.

"I've never seen that so-called technique used in Minneapolis," Barnes said. "It's not a technique we train for here... nor is it anything I would condone. If I ever saw any of my officers use that use of force for eight minutes... I would have walked him straight to the District Attorney's Office for filing.

"It was unforgivable the actions that took place there, but that is not something we do here. That is not something that would ever be condoned and should be condemned."

Supervisor Doug Chaffee said he was "pleased" Barnes' department would not use that type of force.

Chaffee suggested, instead of saying the resolution supports African Americans and "people of color," that it be rewritten to substitute "black members of our community" instead of African-Americans because not all black people trace their ancestry to Africa.

"We need to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement," Chaffee said.

Wagner said he "struggled" with the revision because Floyd was a "member of the African American community," and the resolution included "people of color."

Wagner added that the protests include "not solely black people, but people of all colors, rightly, thankfully."

Wagner said he accepted Chaffee's revision to change the characterization of the arrest as "inexcusable treatment" to "brutal" and "resulting in his death."

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig, contributed to this report.