Protesters gather downtown, police and NAACP to make joint statement Saturday
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – About 100 people gathered Friday evening in downtown Bowling Green to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Protesters marched down Kentucky Street in front of the Bowling Green Police Department with protesters shouting “black lives matter” and ended at Fountain Square Park.
Floyd died Monday after a police officer in Minneapolis pushed his knee into Floyd’s neck while Floyd was handcuffed on the ground. The police officer has been charged with Floyd’s homicide and fired from his job.
Protests about police activity resulting in deaths erupted in many cities overnight including Louisville.
In Bowling Green both the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Bowling Green Police Department have publicly condemned the actions of the police officer in Minnesota.
“I would like to stand alongside the countless other law enforcement leaders that have shown their solidarity against what happened in Minnesota,” Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower posted to the sheriff’s office Facebook page. “I believe this officer betrayed his oath of office. Sworn to serve and protect the people of his city and to uphold the Constitution of the American nation, he instead, needlessly and without due process of law, deprived George Floyd of his equal protection.”
Bowling Green Police Chief Doug Hawkins released a similar statement signed by the the mayor, city manager and the entire city commission.
“We know that there is heightened interest across the nation about the actions of police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota during an arrest resulting in the heinous and unnecessary death of a man in their custody,” the statement reads. “Our prayers go out to the family of George Floyd as they try to process and grieve their loss.”
“We know of no other police officer or reasonable person that agrees with the actions of that Minneapolis officer – none… .”
“It has been condemned by all serious people in the law enforcement profession and in our communities. The City of Bowling Green, through its police department does everything we can to eliminate the possibility of this type of unacceptable behavior occurring in our agency… . The willful misbehavior demonstrated in Minneapolis will never be accepted, promoted, tolerated or overlooked in the Bowling Green Police Department,” the statement reads.
At 9 a.m. Saturday, representatives of BGPD, the sheriff’s office, Western Kentucky University Police Department and the local NAACP will read a joint statement in front of the Warren County Justice Center. It is a response to the events that led to Floyd’s death.
