RAPID CITY, SD – Following the high-profile conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, police departments across the nation are taking time to assess the situation.
This is also true in Rapid City, where RCPD spokesperson Brendyn Medina said the case provided a moment of reflection for officers.
“Whenever we see an incident like this unfold, it really does cause us to pause and reflect on what things we’re doing to insure that this never happen in this community. Like any major event, the George Floyd murder certainly made us do that,” said Medina.
Medina said RCPD uses an accreditation program, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies or CALEA (Ka-lee-ah) in an effort to prevent cases like Floyd’s from happening in Rapid City.
“We heard the call from the community for certain reforms and policy changes they wanted to see made in the wake of the George Floyd death. We’re already meeting these demands or acceding them, thanks to our accreditation.”
Medina said use-of-force has been a focal point.
“We have never employed choke holds and or anything that significantly impacts a person’s ability to breath, save for what would be considered a deadly use of force incident. In tandem with that, talking about use of force, every use of force that we employ as a law enforcement agency is documented and reviewed by a supervisor. So we have those checks and balances in place too.”
Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday afternoon on three charges, including second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
