‘It’s a powerful moment.’ Centre County officials respond to protests against police brutality
In Millheim, a church bell rang for 8 minutes in remembrance, organizers in Philipsburg gave voice to injustice at a roadside protest, and over a thousand people have gathered in downtown State College as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
George Floyd — a 46-year-old black man — died after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, after being reported for purchasing cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Seventeen minutes after cops arrived to the scene, Floyd was unconscious and pinned to the ground by officers.
His last words, “I can’t breathe,” sparked worldwide protests against police brutality, racism and systematic oppression.
Though Floyd died 1,000 miles away from Centre County, local government and law officials recognize that racism and abuse of power can happen anywhere.
On June 5, the Centre Daily Times reached out to five county representatives to ask about their reaction to civil unrest — sparked by Floyd’s killing — across the country and what it means locally.
Commissioner Steve Dershem was the only elected official to not respond to requests for comment by the June 10 deadline.
Officials affected by ‘powerful moment’ sparked by Floyd’s death
Hoping Floyd’s death will be the last of its kind, the county is evaluating its systems to ensure they hold individuals accountable and increase transparency.
“In Centre County, we had protests not only in State College, but in Philipsburg,” Commissioner Michael Pipe said during a Wednesday interview. “It’s not just the Centre Region participating in this, and I think that speaks to the fact that this has touched everybody in some way or another.”
Pipe said the video of Floyd pleading for help was one of the “most difficult” things he’s watched, adding that it resembles “too many” videos of police using blunt force to control somebody.
“When he was calling out, the inhumanity of the officers not even seeming to react to it, it was almost as if something turned off in them. They weren’t even responding to it,” he said. “I think that there was a need to see it and not turn it off. I’ve only watched it once. It’s something we need to be careful not to watch over and over.”
Believing the vast majority of protests sparked by Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are peaceful, Pipe said that President Donald Trump’s threat to enact the Insurrection Act of 1807 — which would give him the authority to deploy active duty military to restore peace — serves as nothing more than a “distraction,” and Commissioner Mark Higgins agreed.
Communities of color, Higgins said in email responses to the CDT’s questions, receive a “disproportionate share of police brutality.” Citing reports that show disparities in police use of force and widespread inequities across the American criminal justice system, Higgins said laws and policies are in need of significant changes.
“It’s a powerful moment,” Pipe said. “I truly believe the momentum of this moment is having conversations, and townships and boroughs that don’t have those conversations, I would want to know the reasons why not.”
Gov. Tom Wolf announced several actions aimed at improving law enforcement relations with the community by strengthen training and accountability. Building on the 21st Century Policing Task Force, created under former President Barack Obama in response to Michael Brown’s shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, they aim to support municipalities, better train and educate officers and promote legislative reform.
Reflecting on proposed changes and the peaceful demonstrations led by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, Pipe said he hopes more Centre County representatives will support change for the better.
“It would be terrific for them to take a stand and see that legislation through,” he said. “They have an opportunity to be a convener and bring people together.”
What does police reform look like?
Supportive of police and legislative reform, Higgins and Pipe agreed that police training, review and practices must be re-evaluated.
“Law enforcement personnel need to demand accountability from others in their profession,” Higgins said. “The horrendous actions of some have stained the reputations of the many.”
Local police chiefs, District Attorney Bernie Cantorna and Sheriff Bryan Sampsel all condemned the actions, or lack thereof, of former Minneapolis police officers Derek Chauvin Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao.
“He was already in custody, in handcuffs, and they failed to render aid to someone who was clearly in distress,” Sampsel said. “This is not what we are trained to do, especially if someone is in medical distress.”
Moving forward, Sampsel anticipates many agencies will review policies for improvements. Cantorna said he will continue to see that the legal system treats “everyone fairly,” regardless of race, gender, religion or other identifiers.
“If our legal system is to function, it must protect the vulnerable, seek justice and work to address the underlying issues that cause crime. I support the protesters seeking chance in how we police and the racial and economic inequities that continue to divide us.”
One year after Osaze Osagie’s death
This isn’t the first time the county is evaluating police practices, and Pipe expects the past will resurface in conversations about reform.
June marks one year since the first community conversation on mental health, following the police shooting of Osaze Osagie — an African American man who was killed by a white State College police officer while attempting to serve a mental health warrant.
The officer was cleared of any wrongdoing, but Osagie’s death sparked protests and calls for change then, and again with demonstrations this month.
“With the district attorney’s investigation, it was justifiable use of force, but that event was seen from a larger perspective when it came to deaths caused between people of color and law enforcement,” Pipe said. “Nobody had a right to tell people it didn’t fit. They lifted his name up over what happened within that broader conversation.”
In addition to Osagie, Pipe said the State College-Centre County mental health task force, which continues to meet with the goal of delivering recommendations, should consider what happened to Floyd while evaluating Centre County.
Having an open mind — whether it’s the perspective of person of color or someone from law enforcement — is key when making change, Pipe said.
“You have to take both of those perspectives because you’re going to learn where each individual is coming from,” he said. “But if we don’t talk about this, nothing will be accomplished.”
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 8:10 AM.
