WACO, TX — A retired Central Texas Police Sergeant is speaking out following the death of George Floyd, a black Minnesota man who died in police custody after an officer held a knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
Retired Waco Police Sergeant Patrick Swanton posted a letter "to the officers involved in the death" of George Floyd on Facebook Friday morning.
"What you did was kill more than a human being today," Swanton said. "What you did was kill a piece of America that law enforcement officers everywhere will have to pay for. You not only killed George Floyd, but you also killed a very fragile thing law enforcement strives to maintain today called trust."
Floyd’s death has caused outrage from the public which resulted in days of protests nationwide.
"I, along with thousands of other real cops watched in horror as you kneeled on the throat of not only your community but ours as well and killed something you may never get back," said Swanton. "Each and every one of you that were there and witnessed silently as one of your “brothers” facilitated the death of another human being is just as guilty as the man with his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck."
"I speak for thousands of officers when I say you are not a part of us and your actions can never be justified in any way, shape, or form," Swanton said.
The retired police Sergeant also said he personally hopes the officers involved are "brought up on criminal charges and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Swanton ends the letter by saying he hopes the officers have "become very aware of what [they] have done and how [they] have affected cops everywhere."
