By Richard C. Irvin, Aurora mayor
I am a black man. I am a father. I am a son; a brother; an uncle. I am a human being who cares for the plight of my fellow man. And I’m hurt and outraged over the senseless and brutal killing of George Floyd.
When I watched the video, I felt searing pain, a feeling that I have felt all too often over the years. It’s that same gut-wrenching hurt that develops every time one of these horrific killings happens in this country. It’s more than hurtful, it’s traumatic.
That could have been me or one of my brothers. It could have been my son who was just graduated from high school. It could have been my 16-year-old nephew. It could have been any innocent person who shares the color of my skin.
We can no longer be satisfied with simple condolences for the loss in our community. Justice must be served; swiftly, and severely.
It was announced last week, the involved officers were fired, and announced Friday, May 29 the officer who held George Floyd down with his knee on his neck has been arrested and charged. However, those are only the first steps.
As the mayor of a city and a former prosecutor, I know the community is watching and will respond to every action taken by the leadership. Those actions not only reflect on a city, but can define that city for generations to come. Moreover, if done appropriately, they can redefine and heal a nation.
My heart is with the Floyd family and the community of Minneapolis. I have sat and observed the events of last week, from the suffering of the underserved to the tragic death of another unarmed black man to the destruction of a community. I hurt for all involved, and I understand the pain from a very personal place.
I know we must do more, and we must do better if there is any hope for real healing now, and into the future.
Rest assured, these illegal actions will not be tolerated in Aurora by any officers of the Aurora Police Department. Furthermore, I’m positive our officers would not stand idly by and accept those actions from any of their colleagues.
As Aurora Police Chief, Kristen Ziman, stated, “resisting suffocation is not resisting arrest.” Let’s make no excuses about it.
Our officers have been trained in scenario-based exercises with de-escalation being the first tactic in each situation. Every officer goes through implicit bias training, and we have a diverse leadership team which understands our community. Chief Ziman, Deputy Chief Keith Cross and I were all raised here in Aurora. We stayed to serve this community because we love our city and the amazing people who call it home.
We strive for, plan for, and highly expect this situation to never happen in Aurora. Yet, we still know that hate and division are being expressed across social media channels and very directly in other ways throughout the area. We can’t allow hate and ignorance to penetrate the soul of the City of Lights.
I don’t want to see another life reduced to a hashtag. George Floyd’s life means more than that. All of those brutally and senselessly killed mean more than that. We all mean more than that.
You have my word that Aurora will do better and be better, as we continue being Aurora Strong.
— Mayor Richard C. Irvin, mayor, Aurora