Morristown Vigil Honoring George Floyd Remains Peaceful

MORRISTOWN, NJ - The procession of cars stretched back for miles in what appeared to be a large funeral procession. Emotional, respectful and impactful, that is what the Black Lives Matter Morristown vigil mourning the death of George Floyd was.

Floyd, 46, died Monday after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on his neck for several minutes while three other officers looked on.

Video footage of the arrest, in which Floyd is heard saying "I can't breathe," spread widely online, and all four officers were fired. Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on Friday.

Mourners in Morristown came from all over Morris County and beyond, and even those who could not attend offered messages of support. Including Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty.

"Although I will not be able to attend this evenings candlelight vigil in honor of George Floyd, I stand strongly with this effort. Both my wife and I will take a moment of silence tonight and mourn the loss of Mr. Floyd and those we have lost to such senseless and reprehensible acts of brutality," he said in a statement. "I am encouraged by the Black Lives Matter movement and their work to bring these matters and the trauma caused by such acts to the forefront of discussions within our community."

Video courtesy of Ela Ravin

Video courtesy of Ela Ravin

Video courtesy of Ela Ravin

More Reaction

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp shared his own thoughts in the wake of Floyd's death, reminding the public that they investigate all complaints regarding public officials, public employees and police officers.

“During my tenure as Morris County Prosecutor, I have always made investigating and
prosecuting bias crime as a top priority. No resident of Morris County should be made to feel unwelcome in this great county, and members of this office take every reported incident seriously," Knapp said, noting he attended a virtual discussion with members of the Calvary Baptist Church. "It was a powerful and emotional evening. I realize emotions are running high during what are already challenging times."

Morris Township Chief of Police Mark DiCarlo said he felt responsible to acknowledge the "horrific incident" and offered condolences to the family, friends and relatives of George Floyd on behalf of his department.

"We do not condone those actions and behaviors," he said. "Please know that our officers are continuously and consistently training on topics pertaining to racial profiling, harassment, ethics, cultural diversity, use of force, dealing with mental illness and substance abuse to name a few. As an Agency, we have provided tools and equipment to our officers in order to have alternatives to the use of deadly force as well as teach de-escalation techniques."

DiCarlo also noted the diversification of personnel, many of which grew up in the community.

"As we move forward in a positive direction from this incident, our police department will focus on building and maintaining our positive relationship with our residents," he said. "We are committed to solidarity and not division. We are your police department and we ask for your assistance in growing with you."

Beyond Morristown

Madison Mayor Robert H. Conley, Chief Darren P. Dachisen Sr. and Madison Police Chaplain Reverend A. Craig Dunn of Madison First Baptist Church issued a joint statement the death of Floyd.

“The horrific footage of the incident that recently occurred in Minneapolis is inconsistent and contrary to all that we, Madison and Madison Police Department, have not only learned while attending police academy, but what we have learned as human beings. What is depicted in the footage is not who MPD is as law enforcement professionals. We are equally disturbed and saddened to see the other officers on the scene not interject and prevent the tragic loss of life," the statement said. "Madison Police Department (MPD) is an accredited agency, which not only requires the continuous training on topics like racial profiling, harassment, ethics, cultural diversity, use of force, dealing with mental illness and substance abuse to name a few."

The department also has to track and have an early warning system in place to alert command staff to use of force patterns and/or trends, officials said.

"We will not allow what occurred in Minneapolis to tarnish the relationship with the residents of Madison, that MPD has focused on growing over the years through community outreach programs like National Night Out," the statement said. "On behalf of the Borough of Madison, our deepest sympathies go out to Mr. Floyd’s family during this unbearable time.”

County Prosecutors from Mercer, Hudson, Monmouth, Burlington, Cap May, Sussex and Cumberland County also released a statement on behalf of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey.

"In New Jersey, the law enforcement community is fortunate to have developed a positive relationship with our residents. Our police officers and state troopers routinely conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and respect for the members of the communities they serve. This has been particularly apparent over the past few months as our officers have managed the added responsibility of enforcing significant restrictions on our normal activities with sensitivity to the stress that our residents are experiencing in the midst of this public health crisis," the statement said. "We believe that New Jersey is home to some of the finest law enforcement officers in the country. The County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey is committed to ensuring that members of our local, county and state police forces provide fair treatment and justice to all our residents."

The Prosecutors' statement also credited Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal with progressive policies, and he shared his own thoughts.

"Mr. Floyd’s death reminds us that our country has a long way to go not only in healing our nation’s racial divides, but also in addressing the systemic and implicit biases that prevent all Americans from equally securing our country’s great promises. Now more than ever, we must redouble our commitment to building trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, especially those from historically marginalized communities," Grewal said. "The residents of New Jersey should rest assured that we will never tolerate the types of police practices that resulted in Mr. Floyd’s death."

There were also protests in Camden and Newark on Saturday. Thousands of protesters filled Market Street on Saturday to protest police brutality. Signs listing the names of black men and women who died at the hands of police lined posters and T-shirts. George Floyd's name was shouted alongside the chant "I can't breathe."

The People's Organization for Progress, the group that organized the protest, and leader Larry Hamm urged the community to use their voice to bring about change in Newark. Advocating for a citizens review board in Newark, Hamm said the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 12 has repeatedly blocked the move in the courts.

"If you really want accountability, we need you to call the state Supreme Court on Monday," Hamm said, "Every village in this state and in this country should have a civilian oversight board for the police."

Hamm noted that systemic change and the fight for equality would be a long one, in Newark and across the country. "It took 50 years of protesting to try to get a review board," Hamm said, noting the cities history of protesting police brutality. "But if those of us here could unite into a movement, we would be the most powerful movement in the state of New Jersey," Hamm exclaimed to a cheerful crowd.

Violence Nearby

Not far from home, in New York and Pennsylvania, there were riots and incidents of violence Saturday. A disaster emergency was declared in Philadelphia as the city and the suburbs handled riots and looting late Saturday and early Sunday protesting the death of George Floyd. A total of 22 individuals were arrested in the city, and 13 police officers were injured, authorities said.

The aftermath of the riots — which began as a peaceful demonstration at along the Parkway — left Walnut and Chestnut streets and parts of the surrounding neighborhoods strewn with clumps of trash, as this clip from the Philadelphia Inquirer shows. Expletives were scrawled in graffiti across the fronts of shops and the sides of buildings. Numerous storefronts were damaged or destroyed. Broken glass coated parts of the sidewalk and streets.\

Several fires were set, including a three-alarm blaze which raged at 17th and Walnut at around 10 p.m. It was not put out until 1 a.m., the Philadelphia Fire Department said. Around 120 firefighers responded to the fire.

In New York City, thousands of New Yorkers took to the city's streets again Saturday in a third day of furious protests following the death of Minnesota man George Floyd.

Rallies popped up in Harlem, Times Square, Union Square, on the West Side Highway, on the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges, at the Barclays Center, in Flatbush and at several other sites throughout the city. Similar scenes were being seen right across the United States.

Hundreds have been arrested over the days of protest, including several who were expected to be charged Saturday night or Sunday with throwing Molotov cocktails in Brooklyn Friday night. One of the devices was hurled by a woman at a police vehicle carrying four officers, law enforcement sources said.

Many officers have been hurt during the protest, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said, including some who had teeth knocked out.

"It is by the grace of God that we don't have dead officers today," he said Saturday.

This story contains reporting by Kara Seymour, Samantha Mercado, Adam Nichols and Justin Heinze.

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