Detroit Chief Of Police James Craig On The Detroit Protests
Detroit Police Chief James Craig discusses the department's handling of the George Floyd protests, curfews and the use of gas, why he called Floyd's death murder within 24 hours, and his early days on the force.
About This Episode
In another timely episode of OpenMike, Detroit Chief of Police James Craig joins Mike Morse and Kevin Dietz to talk about the current Detroit protests. They discuss curfews, the state of violence throughout the protests in Detroit, and the murder of George Floyd. Chief Craig talks about his early days on the police force and feeling unwelcome as a black man and the inspiration from his father to change the institution from within. He was one of the first police chiefs across the country to call the killing of George Floyd a murder and he explains why he was so quick to do it.
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Show Notes
- Intro
- No looting or fires
- Nonviolent agenda
- Mob mentality
- Are the protests organized
- Is this a political thing
- Detroiters stopping violence
- Relationship with the media
- Curfew
- Policing
- Neck restraint
- Being a coward
- He wasnt moved
- America is angry
- Flint Sheriff
- Protests
- Suburban Protests
- Other Cities
- Tifa
FAQs
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Why did Chief Craig say Detroit had not seen the looting and fires of other cities during the George Floyd protests?
Chief Craig said there had been no looting and no fires in Detroit. He credited relationships the department had built over the years with protesters, activists and community leaders, who he said were standing with police and assisting in mitigating some of the violence seen in other cities.
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Who did Chief Craig blame for the violence at Detroit's protests?
He said a small group embedded themselves among protesters to engage in criminal behavior, and that they were organized, using two-way radios to communicate. He said that of those arrested, probably 70% or more live outside Detroit, many from neighboring suburbs and some from out of state.
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Why did Chief Craig call George Floyd's death a murder within 24 hours?
He pointed to the video: the officer had a neck restraint on a man who was not offering any resistance and was saying immediately that he could not breathe, while the officer’s partner did nothing. He said police don’t charge, but based on probable cause they can make an arrest, and a community expects a criminal officer to be treated the same way as any criminal.
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Is the neck restraint used on George Floyd allowed by the Detroit Police Department?
No. Chief Craig said the neck restraint is totally prohibited in Detroit, while the separate upper body control hold, formerly called the chokehold, may only be used in deadly-force situations.
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Has Detroit's police department disciplined its own officers for excessive force?
Chief Craig said he has fired two African American officers who used excessive force, and that one of the two was charged with a crime. He said that, to him, it’s not a race issue but a police issue, although race has a lot to do with it.
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