The Minneapolis police union president, Lt. Bob Kroll has stated that he considered George Floyd to be a violent criminal, labelled protesters who were rallying for justice as terrorists, and blasted local officials who failed to allow the use of greater force to quell the violence.
Kroll also expressed his support for the four officers involved in the death of Floyd, including the man who knelt on his neck, Derek Chauvin, who has been arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter.
Criminal record
"What is not being told is the violent criminal history of Floyd. The media will not air this," Kroll wrote. He added that he has previously worked with four defence attorneys that are representing each of the four officers involved as well as their labour attorneys to help them keep their jobs and that they were wrongly terminated without due process, reported Daily Mail.
According to the New York Post, law enforcement arrested Floyd in 2007 where they charged him with armed robbery in Houston during a home invasion. And in 2009, as part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to five years behind bars.
A new life
Floyd's childhood friend, Christopher Harris, said that he, along with some of their colleagues, moved to Minneapolis to look for jobs in 2014. Harris convinced Floyd to come with them once he was released from jail.
Floyd found a job at a Salvation Army store located in downtown Minneapolis working security. Later, he worked two jobs, one where he drove trucks and one where he became a bouncer at Conga Latin Bistro, where people called him "Big Floyd."
Also Read: George Floyd Autopsy Revelation: He Was Dead Minutes Before Being Rushed to Hospital
According to The Guardian, the bistro's owner, Jovanni Tunstrom, considered Floyd to be a cheerful man with a right attitude. He shared that Floyd used to dance badly to cheer people up and make them laugh. Tunstrom said he tried to teach Floyd how to dance to his favourite Latin music. Floyd always referred to his employer as "Bossman" with Trunstom saying he was his friend.
Floyd was laid off when Minnesota ordered the shut down of restaurants and establishment to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Harris revealed that he spoke with Floyd on Sunday night regarding a temporary job agency.
Harris said that Floyd did everything he could to move forward with his life after getting going to jail and that he could not believe Floyd would resort to forgery. "I've never known him to do anything like that," Harris added.
Lack of support
Kroll said that the protests, which he considered to be terrorist movements, was a long time build-up that goes back several years. He added that the violence has spread due to local officials thinning out their police force and moving funds over to community activists that fight against the police.
"Our chief requested 400 more officers and was flatly denied any," Kroll said. He added that it was what led to the surge of riots. He also claimed that authorities have refused to supply sufficient equipment that the police needed to protect themselves against violent protests such as gas munitions and less lethal bullets.
