Ohio Governor Mourns George Floyd's Death, Urges Peaceful Protest

COLUMBUS, OH — Gov. Mike DeWine mourned the death of George Floyd on Friday. He said he regretted not speaking out on Floyd's death earlier, before protests and riots broke out in Columbus.

Floyd died after being arrested by Minneapolis police. Video of his arrest shows officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck, while Floyd repeatedly says he "cannot breathe." Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday.

"All of us have an obligation to speak out against injustice, to speak out against racism. Speaking out against injustice and racism is even more important for a leader, for a governor," DeWine said Friday.

Protesters gathered in downtown Columbus on Thursday evening to protest the death of Floyd. The protests escalated when attendees began throwing objects at police and breaking windows at the Ohio Statehouse, according to NBC 4 in Columbus.

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DeWine said protests expressing outrage are "understandable and appropriate." He encouraged Ohioans to speak out against wrong-doing and to speak out for change, unity and an end to injustice.

"We cannot let hate prevail over love, over kindness, over compassion," DeWine said. He then urged Ohioans to protest peacefully and to not fight violence with further violence. "Peaceful protests and the exercise of our first amendment rights are an important part of our civic life. But when protests turn violent, lives are put at stake."

DeWine then said Ohioans need to come together and continue to peacefully demand change.

"George Floyd’s death is the culmination of many events. As he lay on the ground dying, he was a victim representing so many others before him. His death impacts us all. We have a responsibility to each other, regardless of race, to stand up and say we won't tolerate this conduct," DeWine said.

Citing his experience as a prosecutor and an attorney general, he said watching the video of Floyd's death made him wonder about police training and emphasizing de-escalation tactics. DeWine then committed to improve Ohio's training on de-escalation and education on implicit bias.

"We have a moral obligation to ensure all police officers, all 35,000 [in Ohio], have the proper training," DeWine said.

Friday's COVID-19 Numbers

Ohio saw a jump in new COVID-19 cases and virus-related hospitalizations on Friday, the state health department announced. At least 651 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Friday afternoon and 136 people were hospitalized because of the virus.

Over the past three weeks, Ohio had averaged 550 new COVID-19 per day and 82 hospitalizations per day. Hospitalization numbers have been on the uptick for most of this week, as have intensive care admissions.

Also on Friday, the state health department confirmed 33 new deaths caused by COVID-19 and 17 new intensive care admissions. Since the start of the outbreak, at least 2,131 Ohioans have died due to complications caused by COVID-19.

Related Reading:

• George Floyd Death: Former Cop Derek Chauvin Charged With Murder
• Ohio Ranks 38th For States Hit Hardest By Unemployment Claims
• How Ohio Has Responded To Covid-19: Part One