Lexington police, city leaders must do more to repair trust in broken justice system

Mass feelings of distrust for police departments and government officials have grown slowly but steadily.

Distrust is a feeling, but it is one built on experiences and other gained knowledge that contribute to the slow erosion of trust for something or someone.

The protests in Lexington, and across the country, are due to anger that Black men and women continue to be killed by police officers who face no consequences. Anger that in Lexington, coffee with the chief, speeches made before city council and written demands for greater transparency in the police discipline process have not resulted in any significant systemic or procedural changes. Anger that Black pastors marched from Main Street Baptist to city hall, then to Police Headquarters and finally to the Sheriff’s office to deliver a written statement calling for ‘’significant reform in Law enforcement procedures” and there has not been one action by the Mayor, city council or the Police Chief to address the procedures publicly since the protests began.

Early Sunday morning, the police department released to the press the names of twenty people who were arrested on Saturday. These were the first arrests directly related to the protests.

On Saturday, Lexington’s police department sent an email to media including three links to selected and edited body camera footage from officers working during the protests May 31- June 12.

The email, signed by Public Information Officer Brenna Angel, offered this context. “Our hope is that these videos will provide the public with a glimpse at the officers’ perspective, from kneeling in solidarity with protesters to being told that they and their families’ lives do not matter. The stress of working the protests night after night is weighing on us and our families. But we know this movement is not about our feelings. It is about the people who are hurting, people who were wronged by police officers …”

Factually, the statement is weak by saying this movement is about “people who were wronged by police officers.’’

The movement is about the on-going killing of Black people by police officers. The movement is about systemically racist policies and discriminatory procedures which allow law enforcement to freely brutalize and murder.

The manipulated release of police body camera video, unrelated to a crime, is an unethical and intentional attempt to demonize people who are pushing for police accountability. This act, by the Lexington Police department, weaponizes the tool put in place to help repair some of the distrust. In retrospect, the released footage feels like part of an orchestrated character assassination of the protesters before arrests began.

This moment is not about the Lexington Police Department, any feelings of fatigue, or apparent need for attention. Whatever stress law enforcement and their families are feeling at having to interact with protesters cannot be weighed against the immeasurable pain and trauma Black people have long endured.

Until the police department and government officials address the anger that stemmed from Black motorcyclist Daezon Morgan being killed by Matthew Starling, who was charged and arrested with manslaughter almost a day later, reportedly treated to water and gum and a cigarette by police long before a breathalyzer was administered, there will be unrest. Until there is communication regarding the continued employment of Officer Donovan Stewart who can been seen closed-fisted punching a 16-year-old Black boy repeatedly in the head as the teen was held face down on the floor of Fayette Mall in 2019, there will be distrust.

A review of the communication practices must be part of any reform of Lexington’s Police department.

The strategic release of body camera footage Saturday morning followed by the first protest-related arrests only amplifies the need for immediate procedural justice reform.

Patrice Muhammad is the producer and host of Key Conversations Radio, an independently produced talk radio show airing each Sunday at 7 a.m. on WBTF 107.9 FM and 7 p.m. on WUKY 91.3 FM.

This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 10:30 AM.