Parsippany Mayor: I Could Have Been George Floyd

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The death of George Floyd in police custody on Memorial Day has prompted nationwide protests and outrage, and it stirred the memory of Parsippany Mayor Michael Soriano.

"I cannot help but feel that, given the wrong time and place, I could have been George Floyd," Soriano said.

Soriano noted that on a solemn day meant to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, we were all exposed to a horrifying and disturbing video across news platforms and social media sites.

Floyd, 46, died Memorial Day after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's 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 Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

The shock and condemnation over Floyd’s murder in broad daylight has been strong, swift and nearly universal, Soriano said, adding that the underlying issues that have led to his and so many other needless deaths have yet to be addressed.

He then shared his own experience with police, both good and bad.

"I have been profiled several times in my life. While walking in the neighborhood I grew up in, I was slammed onto the hood of a police car, with a loaded service pistol pointed to my head," Soriano said. "I sometimes wonder if things may have turned out worse that evening if I wasn’t wearing my Boy Scout uniform under my jacket."

Soriano said he can still recall the horror he felt when he saw how badly his little brother’s face was beaten when he was in custody while handcuffed.

"Any of those incidents could have ended the same way, and without a camera to record it," he said.

Soriano said that, at the same time, he remembers the compassion of the police officers who consoled his mother when his little brother died.

"I have worked with police officers as a member of advisory boards, civic associations and as mayor. I studied criminal justice in college. I know and respect so many police officers," he said. "I have friends and family in law enforcement, and I worry about them, and I pray for all of those serving in law enforcement to return home safely after their shifts. But that doesn’t ease the pain I’ve felt with so many other people of color this week, and so many other weeks in the past."

Soriano said that incident has raised questions to which he has no answers.

"How can you push your knee into his neck for eight minutes? How can the other officers just stand there?" Soriano said. "What if this wasn’t being filmed? Will we ever learn?"

In Soriano's opinion, there is so much to be done at the federal and state levels across this country. He also noted that in Parsippany, the police have taken the steps to outfit officers with body cameras, with a complete rollout coming soon.

"My heart aches for George Floyd’s family, which has grown to include millions of people this week, and I worry about those that are peacefully protesting each day, and I pray that they return home safely. We have been thrust into a time of national mourning, and we are deeply in need of national healing," he said. "I hope you’ll join me in continuing to reflect on the events in Minneapolis and listening to those who have been most impacted by this violence. Please stay safe, take care of each other, and may God bless you."

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