One Year After George Floyd’s Death, Del. Jay Jones Calls for Accountability in Virginia Policing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 25, 2021

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NORFOLK— One year after George Floyd’s murder by Derek Chauvin, Attorney General candidate Delegate Jay Jones released an open letter calling for greater accountability in Virginia policing. In the letter, Jones recommits to bringing true accountability and transparency in policing and highlights the need for action on police brutality in Virginia.

READ THE LETTER HERE

“Millions of Americans bore witness to George Floyd’s murder one year ago today. When I watch it, I feel Derek Chauvin’s knee on my neck. Admittedly, I still feel the weight of the system’s oppression on me, and I believe most Black Americans feel the same,” said Delegate Jay Jones. “A police officer being found guilty of murder for conduct on the job would have been unheard of not long ago. But the verdict won’t fix the systemic injustices in policing or the sense of impunity too many officers feel when interacting with Black Americans.

“Virginia has been forced to grapple with our own instances of police violence since Floyd’s death. Just this March, Donovon Lynch was gunned down by police in Virginia Beach. And a month later, Isaiah Brown was shot ten times by an officer in Spotsylvania. What’s been disturbing to me is that Mark Herring has failed to take action in these cases. In the campaign for Attorney General, we must make a statement about the Virginia we want to be, about the fresh faces and new perspectives we want to elevate. We have to seize this moment to create real change before it slips from our fingers and we realize we lost our chance. This moment is too urgent to do anything but that.”

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