Wilmington Officials Release Statement On Killing of George Floyd

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington officials issued a statement Tuesday denouncing the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

"Wilmington leaders including, Town Manager Jeffrey Hull, Superintendent Dr. Glenn Brand Police Chief Joseph Desmond, Fire Chief William Cavanaugh, Chairman of the Board of Selectman Gregory Bendel and the entire Board of Selectmen, and School Committee Chair Jennifer Bryson and the entire School Committee denounce the actions of the four Minneapolis Police officers and they join in the collective sense of national outrage and sorrow that the death of George Floyd has brought on our country," the statement reads.

Viral video showed now-former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck for nine minutes. Three other officers stood by. Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder; the charge was raised to second-degree Wednesday. The other three officers were charged with aiding and abetting murder.

The video capturing Floyd's death provoked protests in Minneapolis that have spread across the country.

“The video of the actions of the Minneapolis police officers leading to the death of George Floyd are horrifying to watch. Nothing in that video reflects the high training standards of a professional police officer whose job is to protect life,” Police Chief Desmond said in a statement. “The behavior of these officers does not reflect the training and professionalism of the men and women of the Wilmington Police Department.

>>Read the full statement here.

The statement goes on to lay out the Department's policies and regular training.

"The men and women of the Wilmington Police Department strive to live by our core values of compassion, commitment, and respect has and will continue to protect and serve all persons we interact with regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity," it reads.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.