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Before every official in China and #hongkong goes ape &%$# and justifies their crackdown by citing grievous #police abuse in #Minneapolis, know that US citizens and other govt branches have many tools to expose/counter/control/punish police. https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/29/derek-chauvin-arrested-george-floyd-death-minneapolis-police-officer/">https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/2...
Note that in this case, police released the body camera recording. In #Hongkong people are still waiting for inquiries and evidence for events in 612, 721, 831 2019 and even Mong Kok 2016.
US Civilian Review Boards work. They review procedures, budgets, training, provide oversight of jails. CITIZENS access info through court subpoenas or FOIs. Here, consult this handy @ACLU guide, #HKSAR and notice all the ways that CITIZENS monitor. https://www.aclu.org/other/fighting-police-abuse-community-action-manual">https://www.aclu.org/other/fig...
An officer implicated in a killing or shooting is taken out of service, gun removed, placed on leave, and he begins a long process of internal and often, external review, through the victims and sometimes the U.S. govt.
The officer is named. This process does not happen in secret. Victims can seek records through records requests or courts. A criminal complain is made public. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/us/derek-chauvin-criminal-complaint-trnd/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/2...
People learn about the officer, his training, his orders, what exactly happened before the victim died because all people can file Freedom of Information requests. The federal government and each state has an office. https://www.foia.gov"> https://www.foia.gov
In previous eras, the US Justice Dept might provide oversight of a problem police department, or prison system, through a consent decree. Unfortunately, this tactic has been neutered by the Trump administration. https://psmag.com/social-justice/what-lack-of-doj-oversight-means-for-police-reform">https://psmag.com/social-ju...
Finally, what keeps this process working is a vigorous and aggressive press. The press obtain medical records, coroner’s reports, examine videos, demand the officer’s employment records. They are not afraid of a colonial media law that burdens outlets with contempt threats.
The tragedy in Minnesota garners worldwide interest because, while racial profiling is a massive civic problem, killing detainees is not routine, it is not allowed, nor do the cases get buried from public view.
To American readers, I understand this tragedy is a constitutional, human rights and societal crisis. I am in no way negating the pain of these events. I am pointing out this becomes propaganda by anti-American forces overseas.
