upworthy
Democracy

The 4 ex-cops connected to George Floyd's murder have been indicted by a federal grand jury

The 4 ex-cops connected to George Floyd's murder have been indicted by a federal grand jury
Photo by munshots on Unsplash

Last May, the whole world reacted to the murder of George Floyd caught on video by a quick-thinking teenage bystander. We watched the minutes tick by as Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck. We watched Floyd tell the officers he couldn't breathe and then call out for his mother. We watched him stop talking, stop moving, stop breathing while Derek Chauvin kept on kneeling with his hand in his pocket.

While most of the attention has been on Chauvin's actions in that horrifying video, there were three other police officers involved at the scene.

Three other officers who participated in either helping hold Floyd down or watching as it happened. Three officers who witnessed their colleague murder a man in plain sight, with bystanders begging them to intervene, and doing nothing to stop it. Three officers who didn't even try to resuscitate the man who had stopped breathing right in front of them.

The accountability of those officers has been in question since Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the George Floyd case. Now, a federal grand jury has indicted all four officers, including Chauvin, for willfully violating George Floyd's constitutional rights.

Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have been charged with depriving Floyd liberty without the due process of law, which, according to the indictment, "includes an arrestee's right to be free from a police officer's deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs."

The indictment lays out how the officers violated that right:

"Specifically, the defendants saw George Floyd lying on the ground in clear need of medical care, and willfully failed to aid Floyd, thereby acting with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm to Floyd. This offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, George Floyd."

In addition, Derek Chauvin has been charged with the use of unreasonable force, and two of the officers, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, have been charged with willful failure to intervene in stopping Derek Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.

All three counts fall under "Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law," which, according to the Justice Department "is punishable by a range of imprisonment up to a life term, or the death penalty, depending upon the circumstances of the crime, and the resulting injury, if any."

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland recently announced an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department to determine whether there is a pattern or practice of constitutional rights violations in the way policing is conducted in the city.

The Minneapolis police said in a statement that MPD police chief Medaria Arradondo "welcomes this investigation," will fully cooperate with federal prosecutors, and "understands that the intent of this inquiry is to reveal any deficiencies or unwanted conduct within the department and provide adequate resources and direction to correct them."

Garland vowed during his confirmation hearing that civil rights would be a primary focus of the Department of Justice and appears to be making good on that promise. There are also legislative changes in the works with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill passed through the House of Representatives but not yet taken up by the Senate, which would limit the unnecessary use of force and make it easier to prosecute police officers accused of misconduct.

While there is much to debate about the future of policing in the U.S., there is little question that something needs to change in our criminal justice system. Derek Chauvin's conviction of George Floyd's murder was one big step toward greater accountability for police brutality. We'll see what happens from here, but the indictments of these officers offer additional hope that police will not be able to violate people's rights and do irreparable harm with impunity.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
racial justice
Badge
O Organics
O Organics
Popular

Dad's heartfelt lunch message shows how simple, everyday acts can change lives

You can make a huge difference by using O Organics.

via Meg Sullivan (used with permission) and Canva/Photos

A volunteer hands out food in a food bank and Meg Sullivan shares her dad's kind gesture.

When we consider people who have had a positive impact on the world, we often think of those who have made grand gestures to improve the lives of others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Greta Thunberg, or Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately, that type of effort is out of reach for the average person.

However, O Organics would like to remind everyone that they can positively impact the world through small, consistent acts of kindness that add up over time. Much like how a small creek can create a valley over the years, we can change lives through small, consistent acts of kindness.

O Organics is dedicated to the well-being of all by nourishing people everywhere with delicious organic foods grown by producers who meet USDA-certified organic farming standards.

Upworthy's Instagram page recently posted a touching example of everyday kindness. Meg Sullivan shared how her father, Tom, peeled oranges for her lunch just about every day from kindergarten through high school. But on the final day of her senior year of high school, he sent his 17-year-old daughter unpeeled oranges with a touching note about how she’d have to start peeling them for herself.



“It’s Time Baby Girl,” he wrote on a wikiHow printout on how to peel an orange with a drawing of himself crying. For the father, this daily ritual was about more than just making lunch; it was about showing that he cared by going the extra mile. “I could have put money on her lunch account,” Tom told Today.com. “But it’s one of those little things I thought was important, that she knows somebody’s taking the time to take care of her.”

The small, daily gesture taught Megan an essential lesson in kindness.

The post reminded people how their fathers’ small acts of kindness meant so much to them. “My dad peeled my oranges until I graduated high school, too. Now, I peel my daughter’s oranges and will for the next 7 plus years,” Katie wrote in the comments. “Love this. My dad peeled mine, too. When I moved out, he gave me an orange peeler gadget,” Mary added.

o organics, albertson's giving backO Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list.via Albertson's

Did you know that every time you go to the supermarket, you can also change the world through small gestures? O Organics not only allows you to feed your family delicious and nutritious organic food, but each purchase also gives back to help people and communities facing food insecurity.

Through contributions from customers like you, O Organics donates up to 28 million meals annually. The company’s contribution is essential when, according to the USDA, 47.4 million Americans live in food-insecure households.

O Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal,” Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products, said in a statement.

O Organics now offers over 1500 items, from dairy products such as eggs and milk to packaged meats and breakfast staples such as cereal bars, granola and oatmeal. You can also enjoy affordable organic produce with O Organics’ fresh salads and fruit.

Everybody wants to make the world a better place. With O Organics, you can feed your family healthy, organic food every time you go to the market while paying it forward by contributing to the company’s efforts to end food insecurity nationwide. That’s a small, daily gesture that can amount to incredible change.

From Your Site Articles
o organics
Parenting

Yet another school district shifts to 4-day week and parents are sounding off

So... when are we getting the matching 4-day work week?

Unsplash

When talking with other parents I know, it's hard not to sound like a grumpy old man when we get around to discussing school schedules. "Am I the only one who feels like kids have so many days off? I never got that many days off when I was a kid! And I had to go work in the coal mine after, too!" I know what I sound like, but I just can't help it.

In Georgia, where I live, we have a shorter summer break than some other parts of the country. But my kids have the entire week of Thanksgiving off, a week in September, two whole weeks at Christmas, a whole week off in February, and a weeklong spring break. They have asynchronous days (during which they complete assignments at home, which usually takes about 30 minutes) about once a month, and they have two or three half-day weeks throughout the year. Quite honestly, it feels like they're never in school for very long before they get another break, which makes it tough to get in a rhythm with work and career goals. Plus, we're constantly arranging day camps and other childcare options for all the time off. Actually, I just looked it up and I'm not losing my mind: American kids have fewer school days than most other major countries.

So it caught my attention in a major way when I read that Whitney Independent School District in Texas recently decided to enact a 4-day week heading into the 2025 school year. That makes it one of dozens of school districts in Texas to make the change and over 900 nationally.


Giphy

The thought of having the kids home from school EVERY Friday or Monday makes me want to break out in stress hives. But this 4-day school week movement isn't designed to give parents a headache. It's meant to lure teachers back to work.

Yes, teachers are leaving the profession in droves and young graduates don't seem eager to replace them. Why? The pay is bad, for starters, but that's just the beginning. Teachers are burnt out, undermined and criticized relentlessly, held hostage by standardized testing, and more. It can be a grueling, demoralizing, and thankless job. The love and passion they have for shaping the youth of tomorrow can only take you so far when you feel like you're constantly getting the short end of the stick.

School districts want to pay their teachers more, in theory, but their hands are often tied. So they're getting creative to recruit the next generation of teachers into their schools — starting with an extra day off for planning, catch-up, or family time every week.

Teachers in 4-day districts often love the new schedule. Kids love it (obviously). It's the parents who, as a whole, aren't super thrilled.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

So far, the data shows that the truncated schedule perk is working. In these districts, job applications for teachers are up, retirements are down, and teachers are reporting better mental well-being. That's great news!

But these positive developments may be coming at the price of the working parents in the communities. Most early adopters of the 4-day week have been rural communities with a high prevalence of stay-at-home parents. As the idea starts to take hold in other parts of the country, it's getting more pushback. Discussions on Reddit, Facebook, and other social media are overrun with debate on how this is all going to shake up. Some parents, to be fair, like the idea! If they stay-at-home or have a lot of flexibility, they see it as an opportunity for more family time. But many are feeling anxious. Here's what's got those parents worried:

The effect on students' achievement is still unclear.

The execution of the 4-day week varies from district to district. Some schools extend the length of each of the four days, making the total instructional time the same. That makes for a really long day, and some teachers say the students are tired and more unruly by the late afternoon. Some districts are just going with less instruction time overall, which has parents concerned that their kids might fall behind.

4-day school weeks put parents in a childcare bind.

Having two working parents is becoming more common and necessary with the high cost of living. I know, I know — "school isn't daycare!" But it is the safe, reliable, and educational place we send our kids while we need to work.

Families with money and resources may be able to enroll their kids in more academics, extracurriculars, sports, or childcare, but a lot of normal families won't be able to afford that cost. Some schools running a 4-day week offer a paid childcare option for the day off, but that's an added expense and for families with multiple kids in the school system, it's just not possible.

This will inevitably end with some kids getting way more screentime.

With most parents still working 5-day weeks, and the cost of extra activities or childcare too high, a lot of kids are going to end up sitting around on the couch with their iPad on those days off. I'm no expert, and I'm certainly not against screentime, but adding another several hours of it to a child's week seems less than ideal.

Of course there are other options other than paid childcare and iPads. There are play dates, there's getting help from family and friends. All of these options are an enormous amount of work to arrange for parents who are already at capacity.

Working 4 days is definitely a win for teachers that makes the job more appealing. But it doesn't address the systemic issues that are driving them to quit, retire early, or give up their dreams of teaching all together.

Giphy

A Commissioner of Education from Missouri calls truncated schedules a "band-aid solution with diminishing returns." Having an extra planning day won't stop teachers from getting scapegoated by politicians or held to impossible curriculum standards, it won't keep them from having to buy their own supplies or deal with ever-worsening student behavior.

Some teachers and other experts have suggested having a modified 5-day school week, where one of the days gets set aside as a teacher planning day while students are still on-site participating in clubs, music, art — you know, all the stuff that's been getting cut in recent years. Something like that could work in some places.

As a dad, I don't mind the idea of my busy kids having an extra day off to unwind, pursue hobbies, see friends, catch up on projects, or spend time as a family. And I'm also very much in favor of anything that takes pressure off of overworked teachers. But until we adopt a 4-day work week as the standard, the 4-day school week is always going to feel a little out of place.


From Your Site Articles
school
Health

Moving to a 4-day work week instead of raising pay? It's a smart move, apparently.

San Juan County took a gamble that’s paid off literally and figuratively.

Photo credit: Jelson25

Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington

If you could choose between getting a pay raise or working fewer hours for the same pay, which would you choose? The added money or the added time off? What you'd choose may depend on your financial circumstances, of course, but assuming you make enough to live comfortably, what would you value more?

For employees of San Juan County, Washington, that choice wasn't exactly a choice, but the result speaks volumes. In October of 2023, the county faced a dilemma. Workers had demanded a pay raise, but the county wouldn't be able to do that without blowing the budget or raising taxes, which it didn't want to do. Instead, it implemented a 32-hour work week, meaning many employees could work a 4-hour work week and enjoy a 3-day weekend every weekend, but keep their pay the same. There were skeptics, of course, but six months later, a report showed that the move was a rousing success.

First, the county saved nearly a million dollars, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at. The county also saw an increase in job applications and were able to fill open positions 62% faster. The number of employees quitting or retiring dropped by 46%. Employees used 31% less sick time and 83% of employees said their work-life balance had improved. And those numbers were nearly the same in the 1-year check-in report.

"At the end of the day, money only does so much for you," Nadine Varsovia, who works in Human Resources told CBS News. "And what's the good of having money anyway if I can't use it to do anything for fun?"

In the report, the workers union shared glowing praise for the 32-hour work week a year in:

"The 32-hour work week win has been significant for our members. This groundbreaking approach is now being considered by other public agencies in Washington State. Represented employees are reporting a beneficial effect on job satisfaction and work life balance. While there continues to be a need to improve efficiencies and address concerns raised by staff, the overall response to the 32-hour work week at this one-year mark is mostly positive."

Overwhelmingly, the results have shown that it was a smart move. However, that doesn't mean every single person loves it. Some employees report that pressure to complete their work in a shorter period of time leads to stress, so it's not a panacea across the board. Residents, too have had to make some adjustments, as some county offices are now closed on Fridays.

It's been a life-changing shift for Varsovia, though, who says she wouldn't go back to a 40 hour work week even if she did get a pay raise. "Money is only worth so much. I'd rather have that time for myself," she told CBS.

As 4-day work weeks and 4-day school weeks become more common, the question of time vs. money is on a lot of people's minds. Many have come to the same conclusion: What good is extra money if you don't have time to enjoy it? A survey in 2023 found that Americans overwhelmingly value time over money vs. the opposite, though nearly half of respondents said they value both equally. If you don't have enough money, you may value money more because you feel the lack of it. Accordingly, by nearly every account, the wealthier people are the more they tend to value time more than money.

A 4-day work week might be a fabulous solution to the work-life balance problem so many people face, but it's not always practical or even possible in every industry. There is, however, a lot more room for creativity in how time and work are structured than people might think in many cases. Fear of trying something new or assumptions about what will or won't get done with a different schedule may hold companies or employers back from attempting a shift in hours, which is why data points like the ones San Juan Island has collected in the past year-plus are so helpful to see.

From Your Site Articles
Pop Culture

Mom leaves a 'heartbreaking' gift to flight passengers sitting next to her baby

"That's a mom trying so hard."

@callmebelly/TikTok

An excellent reminder to show kindness and patience.

Listening to a baby cry during a flight might be aggravating, but it’s nothing compared to the moans, groans, and eyerolls that the baby's parents must endure from other passengers when it happens. No matter what tips and tricks are used to try to soothe a little one’s temperament while 30,000 miles in the air, crying is almost inevitable. So, while having to ease their own child’s anxiety, moms and dads also must suffer being the pariah of the trip. What a nightmare.

Recently, one mom was apparently trying so hard to avoid upsetting her fellow flight members that she went above and beyond to essentially apologize ahead of time if her baby began to cry on its first flight. It was a gesture that, while thoughtful, had folks really feeling for how stressed that poor mom must be.

In a clip posted to his TikTok, one of the passengers—Elliot—explained that the mom handed out small care packages to those nearby.

“She’s already so busy and took the time to make these bags for everyone,” Elliot said, before panning the camera to reveal a Ziplock bag full of candy, along with a note that made him “want to cry.”

The note read: “It’s my first flight. I made a deal to be on my best behaviour—but I can’t make any guarantees. I might cry if I get scared or if my ears start to hurt. Here are some treats to make your flight enjoyable. Thank you for being patient with us. Have a great flight.”

@callmebelly♬ BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish

Like Elliot, those who watched the video felt some ambivalence at the well intentioned act. Many felt remorse that she would feel the need to appease people in this way.

“This is so sweet but also … kind of breaks my heart that we live in a world in which parents feel the need to do that.”

“Because jerk people have shamed parents into believing that they need to apologize for their kids' absolutely normal behavior. What a gem of a mom.”

“You know that sweet mom worried about this trip so much.”

“That poor mom probably spent nights awake … nervous about that flight, thinking of ways to keep strangers happy.”

"That's a mom trying so hard."

Many rallied behind the mom, arguing that making others feel more comfortable with her child being on board was in no way her responsibility.

“No mom should be apologizing. Adults can control their emotions … babies not …. Hugging this mom from a distance.”

“Dear new parents: no you don’t have to do this. Your babies have the right to exist. We all know babies cry. We know you try your best.”

Luckily, there are just as many stories of fellow passengers being completely compassionate towards parents with small children—from simply choosing to throw on their headphones during a tantrum (instead of throwing one themselves) to going out of their way to comfort a baby (and taking the load of a parent in the process). These little acts of kindness make more of an impact than we probably realize. Perhaps if we incorporated more of this “it takes a village” mindset, flying could be a little bit more pleasant for everyone involved.

From Your Site Articles
travel
Education

Fired National Park Education Ranger shares heartbreaking post on losing his 'dream job'

"Share this truth widely."

via Brian Gibbs/Facebook

Brian Gibbs and son at Effigy Mounds National Monument.

On Friday, February 14th, Brian Gibbs, a National Park Ranger at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa, learned he was terminated as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) move to decrease the federal workforce. Gibbs was one of thousands of federal probationary workers terminated that day. Officials have targeted probationary workers employed for less than one or two years because they have fewer job protections or rights to appeal.

While working at Effigy, Gibbs’ job was to educate children, from kindergarten through high school, about more than a dozen American Indian tribes associated with the park. “My job was to teach people about the sacredness of this site, and people … who built the mounds and tribes and still continue to come to the park,” he told CNN.

The reason for his termination felt strange to Gibbs, who says that he exceeded expectations in his most recent evaluation. “According to the letter I received, I ‘failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment’ because my ‘subject matter, knowledge, skills and abilities do not meet the department’s needs,’” Gibbs told Today.com. Now that he is unemployed, Gibbs’ big concern is for his family. He and his wife have one child, and are expecting another in the summer.

In the wake of the mass federal layoffs of over 77,000 people, Gibbs bravely put a face to the story by making a heartbreaking post about losing his job and the National Park Rangers' importance in American life.

“I am absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated to have lost my dream job of an Education Park Ranger with the National Park Service this Valentine’s Day,” Gibbs wrote in his post. “Access to my government email was denied mid-afternoon and my position was ripped out from out under my feet after my shift was over at 3:45pm on a cold snowy Friday. Additionally, before I could fully print off my government records, I was also locked out of my electronic personal file that contained my secure professional records.”

Gibbs then listed a litany of roles he assumed as a ranger, father, and American citizen.

"I am an oath of office to defend and protect the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic... I am the protector of 2500 year old American Indian burial and ceremonial mounds... I am the one who told your child that they belong on this planet. That their unique gifts and existence matters ... I am the lesson that showed your children that we live in a world of gifts- not commodities, that gratitude and reciprocity are the doorway to true abundance, not power, money, or fear," Gibbs wrote.

To raise money for his family during a time of need, Gibbs has partnered with Des Moines-based Raygun to create three shirts honoring those who work for the National Parks Service. Two of the shirts quote his viral post, "Gratitude and reciprocity are the doorway to true abundance, not power, money, or fear." A third shirt has a Ranger hat with the quote: "DON'T TREAD ON ME."


national parks, brian gibbs shirt, raygunRaygun x Brian Gobbs shirts.via Raygun


It’s disheartening to see a man lose the job that he loved so much. But Gibbs's brave post, which appealed to America's better angels, was a wonderful way to humanize the thousands of federal workers who have lost their jobs and the countless who will in the coming months. It can be hard to empathize with federal employees when they’re in offices we’ve never seen or states we’ll never visit. But America’s National Parks are the undisputed gems that make America great, and when those who work to protect them are under threat, it’s a call for all Americans to take notice.

From Your Site Articles
national parks
Heroes

Supermom tackles peeping Tom she caught spying on her daughter

"Hey, so I heard the Texans are looking for a new linebacker,."

via NBC Houston

There are no lengths a mother won't go to protect her children. There's no better evidence of this than the actions of mother Phyllis Pena on January 31, 2021. The mother from Lake Jackson, Texas came home from the store at 7 am when she noticed a suspicious figure looking into her 15-year-old daughter's window. The daughter was not in her room at the time.

Pena quickly called the police. When they arrived, the suspect fled. So Pena leaped out and tackled the young man before he could get away. The incident was captured on dashcam and as you can see, the mother made a textbook tackle. After Pena tackled the man, the daughter helped her hold the suspect down. "First instinct was just to make sure he didn't go any further," Pena said according to NBC Houston.


Mom tackles man suspected of peeking in daughter's windowwww.youtube.com


The police officers were seriously impressed with Pena's take-down. "The cop fist-bumped me and he was like, 'Hey, so I heard the Texans are looking for a new linebacker,'" Pena told KHOU.

If you look at the tackle there's no doubt that Pena has seen J.J. Watt play more than a few snaps. She uses nimble footwork to square herself and then charges at him like a bull. She also does a good job at wrapping him up so he goes down.

Officials out there take notice, she also was sure to keep her head up, so there's no flag on the play.

"It's not very often that we have somebody that actually steps in, puts themself in harm's way to assist in apprehending somebody," Sergeant Roy Welch said.

The suspect, Zane Hawkins, 19, was booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest, and resisting arrest. Welch says that more charges may be added. Pena says her children knew of the suspect but didn't know him personally.

"My kids are my life and just making sure I protect them," Pena said.

Pena's actions were an incredible act of bravery. But it goes without saying she was very lucky she wasn't hurt in the situation. Hawkins was a predator, so he could have been holding a weapon and used deadly force against her.

In these situations, it's always best to let the police do their job. No word yet on if the Texans have offered Pena a contract.


This article originally appeared four years ago.

From Your Site Articles
parenting
Trending Stories