Gonna piss people off, but....

Arresting the officer(s) involved in the murder of George Floyd should not occur (YET). Here is my opinion:

No doubt, there is probable cause to arrest him for homicide. But, there is a difference between arresting and convicting. 1/

99% of all criminal cases, the State is advantaged in funding & resources. However, this case is different because the officer(s) will likely have similar resources. Thus, before the arrest, the prosecutor must be prepared for a battle against an equal opponent. 2/

This is not your standard murder where one guy shoots another and the government wins based upon a rudimentary case showing that A shot B with the gun found in possession of A because [motive].

Nor does an acquittal in such as case have any impact on society as a whole. 3/

The stakes in this case are too high. An acquittal could result in more rioting. And trial will be against an opponent with the funding and resources to make a conviction more difficult. It will be a battle of the experts. 4/

First, the autopsy must reveal a cause of death of homicide. We can all agree that asphyxia is the primary cause and we can agree that asphyxia was caused by the officer (thus, a homicide), the autopsy will also consider toxicology and should consider prior health issues. 5/

The M.E.'s report must be fully detailed and it must be neutral. If there is any discrepancy, the defense expert will seize upon that to create reasonable doubt. Making a complete and accurate report takes time. For a prosecutor, time after arrest is the enemy. 6/

Next is Use of Force. We almost all agree that the officer violated the basic principles of use of force by "riding" the neck of Mr. Floyd. However, use of force policies have changed over the years - but training has not kept up. 7/

The officer is a veteran. We all know that Defensive Tactics are not the focus of dept. training. And in this case, because it is a criminal case, "I acted within the scope of my training" is going to be a defense. (policies do not equal training) 8/

The defense is going to consult with multiple high-dollar experts and hire the one who can credibly say that the officer was improperly trained, but his actions were reasonable in light of his training. 9/

The prosecutor needs to consult with their own experts and find one who will not only testify the use of force was improper, but also be able to counter the defense arguments regarding improper training. That takes time. 10/

Time is the enemy because under the US & MN Constitutions, as well as MN statute, the defendants have the right to a speedy trial. That right does not start until a Complaint/Indictment is filed or an arrest is made. Once the cuffs go on, the clock starts ticking. 11/

What we do not want is another Rodney King verdict which will result in another riot. The prosecutor MUST take EVERY step necessary prior to an arrest to ensure that he/she can achieve a guilty verdict. And those steps take time. 12/

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

- Sun Tzu

The feds have different rules. Their charges could be beneficial to quell the violence. (just my opinion).