Flint Police Put Down Weapons, Join Protesters In George Floyd March

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A protestor holds a sign with a photo of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin during demonstrations following the death of George Floyd on May 30, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Chauvin was taken into custody for Floyd's death. Chauvin has been accused of kneeling on Floyd's neck as he pleaded with him about not being able to breathe. Floyd was pronounced dead a short while later. Chauvin and 3 other officers, who were involved in the arrest, were fired from the police department after a video of the arrest was circulated.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson stands with protesters.

At a time when the need for change is long overdue, police forces across America are witnessing a retaliation against years and years of police brutality against the Black community. Though Minneapolis and other cities are being heavily policed with protesters dealing with excessive force by law enforcement, a police Sheriff in Flint, MI took a different approach.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson joined protesters in the Flint Township where he shared an uplifting message to everyone in attendance. "The only reason we're here is to make sure you got a voice. That's it. Don't think for a second that he represents who these cops are from all over the county," he said. "We got out there to help people not to do that nonsense."

He added, "We want to be with y'all for real. I took my helmet off, they laid their batons down. I want to make this a parade, not a protest." 

The police officer assured those that were in attendance that they were there to help in any way that they're able to. As people began chanting "Walk With Us," Sheriff Swanson began signaling protesters to walk with him.

"This is the way it's supposed to be ... police working with the community," he said. "When we see injustice, we call it out on the police side and on the community side.  All we had to do was talk to them, and now we're walking with them."

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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