Saying the actions of a former Minnesota police officer set the profession “back to the Stone Age” when it comes to race relations, Emporia’s interim police chief urged residents to be peaceful with any protests that may take place and thanked citizens for placing their trust in officers.
Ed Owens referenced the recent death of George Floyd, a black man, under the knee of a white police officer during an interview Monday with KVOE News. Owens says he was horrified by what he saw.
Owens says he supports the peaceful protests that have taken place across the country, but he also says he understands “people are angry” with what they have seen over the past week. The anger is also felt by law enforcement who have seen evidence of organized violent protests elsewhere.
Owens thanked the community for the ongoing partnership with local law enforcement.
Owens’ comments come between a small protest at 12th and Merchant on Sunday and a protest march from Emporia State to Emporia Police headquarters announced for 1 pm Friday. Owens says officers are planning for the event and are reaching out to organizers in an effort to keep the protest peaceful.
KVOE News has reached out to Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope for his perspective on the overall situation and march organizers for the comments on their Friday plans. More discussion about the George Floyd situation will be coming during KVOE’s On-Air Chat on Wednesday.
