Students marched in support of Black Lives Matter from San Pablo Park to Berkeley High School on June 9, 2020. Credit: Jerome Paulos
Berkeley leaders and community members joined the nation in responding to the guilty verdict handed down Tuesday afternoon for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on and killed George Floyd in May 2020 and reinvigorated scrutiny toward police brutality throughout the United States.
A jury in Minneapolis found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. On May 25, 2020, Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for over 9 minutes as bystanders captured the scene on video and pleaded with Chauvin to spare Floyd’s life. Chauvin remained on Floyd’s neck for 3 minutes after Floyd took his last breath.
Berkeley students organize rallies to fight against Asian American hate berkeleyside.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from berkeleyside.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Berkeley votes to limit low-level traffic stops to reduce policing disparities
Officers will focus on investigative stops and pulling over dangerous drivers rather than “random observations of minor equipment violations,” Police Chief Andrew Greenwood said.
Berkeley police will focus on safety- and investigation-related traffic stops while limiting stops for “low-level” offenses. Photo: Jerome Paulos
Officials voted unanimously Tuesday night to deprioritize traffic stops in Berkeley for “low-level” offenses, such as not wearing a seat belt or having expired registration tags, and focus police efforts instead on driving violations related to traffic safety.
The decision was part of a package of police reform efforts approved Tuesday night to address racial disparities in policing that have been documented in Berkeley and around the nation. A working group convened by Mayor Jesse Arreguín, composed of academics, activists, police and city officials, came up with the re