Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said Monday the Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, who died after a white officer pressed his knee on his neck, should be tried for murder.
Scott made the comments Monday during his regular briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is my belief they should be charged with and tried for murder and held fully accountable, both the three officers who used force and the officers who stood by and allowed it to occur,” the Republican governor said.
He called Floyd’s death “a heartbreaking tragedy” that showed how much work needs to be done by Americans to live up to the founding principles of the nation.
“In the greatest country in the world no one should stand for this, no one should make excuses for this. And no one should ignore this,” Scott said. “We must all make clear, enough is enough.”
Floyd’s May 25 death has sparked some of the most widespread racial unrest in the U.S. since the 1960s.
While most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, others have descended into violence, leaving neighborhoods in shambles, stores ransacked and cars burned, despite curfews around the country and the deployment of thousands of National Guard members in at least 15 states.
Scott, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, said he disagreed with the president’s combative tone. On Monday, Trump told the nation’s governors in a video conference that they they “look like fools” for not deploying even more National Guard members. “Most of you are weak,” he said.
Scott said Vermont was taking a different approach. He described a Saturday night protest in Burlington as “tense” but peaceful. Scott urged people involved in any future demonstrations to remain peaceful.
“I assure you we are listening,” Scott said.
“The fact is, hate, ignorance and the inequality we’ve seen is a greater risk to the long-term health of our nation than even COVID-19,” he said.
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