“We still have so much to do”
Fernández and Bailey host community vigil for George Floyd
BY JASON COHEN
Former Minneapolis Police
Offi cer Derek Chauvin
kneeled on George Floyd’s
neck last year for nine and a
half minutes killing him. May
25, 2020 is a day no one will
ever forget.
His death sparked rallies,
protests and sweeping police
reform. In fact, NYC ended
qualifi ed immunity for cops
and repealed 50-A, which allowed
police to shield misconduct
records.
But there is still a long way
to go in making sure Black
and Brown people feel safe
when in the presence of law
enforcement.
On May 25, Assemblywoman
Nathalia Fernández
and Senator Jamaal Bailey
were joined by elected
offi cials, community leaders,
clergy members, and advocates
as they held a vigil in
honor of Floyd.
“George Floyd was not a
Bronxite, but his death and
the pain felt by his family is all
too familiar to us,” Fernandez
said. “While the jury in Minneapolis
did the right thing
by convicting Derek Chauvin,
we still have so much to do.
It’s not enough to remember
how George Floyd died, but we
need to make sure no one else
is taken from us by law enforcement.”
The lawmaker explained
that the country fi nally got to
see what many people of color
have endured for years. Fernandez
explained that this
type of story doesn’t begin or
end with George Floyd.
At a local level, Fernandez
knows about the mistreatment
of people of color by
cops. In 2017, Bronx resident
Andrew Kearse was in a cop
car and pleaded with the offi -
cers for medical attention, yet
they ignored him and he died
on their watch.
In 2019 Fernandez and Bailey
established the Andrew
Kearse Act, where cops will
be held liable if a person is not
given medical attention. Now,
the hope is to get it passed at
the federal level.
BRONX TIMES R 26 EPORTER, JUNE 4-10, 2021 BTR
“Like so many others Mr.
Kearse was denied compassion
by those who are obligated
to protect his life,” she
said. “Nobody in this country
should fear dying when in custody
by a police offi cer.”
In 2020 U.S. Senator Elizabeth
Warren introduced the
Andrew Kearse Act at the
federal level and earlier this
month reintroduced it.
Kearse’s widow, Angelique,
attended the vigil and thanked
Bailey and Fernandez for trying
to honor her husband’s
name. She hopes the law is
passed at the federal level.
“My husband begged for
his life over 75 times in the
back of a police car,” she exclaimed.
“I’ve been fi ghting
for four long years.”
Senator Bailey who is usually
a long winded and boisterous
guy, kept his remarks
brief, as he had lost his voice
recently.
Bailey stressed that the
vast majority of cops are good
at their job, but it’s the bad apples
that ruin it for the rest.
“The reality is George
Floyd didn’t want to die,” he
stated. “Gianna said that her
daddy changed the world, but
Gianna shouldn’t have had to
lose her father for the world to
change.”
One person who deals with
crime everyday is District Attorney
Darcel Clark. Clark,
who is married to a police offi -
cer, knows there are good cops
in this world. But, noted the
bad ones are the reason many
people of color feel unsafe
around law enforcement.
Clark hopes Floyd’s murder
will cause society to change.
“Justice requires more
than just a verdict and trial,”
she explained. “We need all
of us to take action, raise our
voices and talk about the inequities
in our criminal justice
system.”
Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez speaks at the George Floyd vigil.
Photos by Jason Cohen
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