Today, I met with members of my command staff to discuss the events from this past week. We were shocked and saddened by the images of George Floyd as he physically suffered, and ultimately died, due to the actions of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Mr. Chauvin should be held accountable and his termination and subsequent arrest for Manslaughter were appropriate steps in that process.

On Saturday, the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office received a mutual aid request to send deputies to assist a Bay Area department. While we ultimately did not have to respond, we were prepared to do so. It is clear this issue is one that impacts all of us. It is a national issue worthy of acknowledgement and thoughtful discussion. We understand the need for communities to vent frustrations as we try to make sense of Mr. Floyd’s senseless death. We support people’s rights to verbally express themselves and to gather in unity for peaceful demonstrations. To that end, we stand beside our community. However, we do not condone the rioting, property damage, physical assaults, and deaths that have occurred from criminal acts under the guise of protests.

The members of this office took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the rights afforded to all people. This is something we take seriously, and it is outlined in our department’s mission statement. We feel fortunate to have a good partnership with our community, but we also recognize social injustice exists. We are dedicated to constantly reviewing our practices and working to make our department something we can continue to be proud of. We have completed training on social awareness and we routinely meet with citizens to discuss challenges in our socially diverse community.

We remain honored to serve and we pray for peace and healing during this difficult time.