Audaciously Black: An Open Letter to the County Attorney of Minneapolis

From Jessica Wise, addressed to Mike Freeman, County Attorney of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dear Mr. Freeman,

I write to you from Atlanta, Georgia in solidarity with the citizens of Minneapolis, who am I sure are especially rocked by this tumultuous time. I can imagine you are receiving quite a large amount of emails, but I hope this reaches you in a moment of being open and mindful.

I want to be clear, respectfully. 

I am not writing you to humanize George Floyd, because a life is a life. He did not have to be anybody's father, neighbor, or son for this to be a tragedy. He was somebody, and there is no excuse for the actions of Officers Derek Chauvin (Badge #1087), Tou Tao (Badge #987), Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng. 

I am not writing to ask why these officers have not been arrested and charged with felony murder, as is the law. I am not writing to beg you to mandate that law enforcement cease their violent retaliation (tear gas and rubber bullets) on civilians who are justifiably protesting the racism that has been hiding behind a Northern Union narrative, both in your state and others.

I am not asking you these things, because they all should have been done immediately, and you are aware of this.

Instead, I am writing you to put pressure on you to do your job. A blanket statement on your website is not enough. There is no doubt, with traumatizing and clear video evidence of the moments before and during Mr. Floyd's murder, that these four officers went home to their families after killing an unarmed citizen. All four of these officers need to be made an example and charged for felony murder, without bail before trial. They cannot be allowed to roam free and tamper with evidence while the investigation is going on.

If I have to get my entire city of Atlanta and the thousands of readers of my publication Audacity Magazine & Events (where this letter will be published tomorrow) to write you, call you, and tag you on social media, then so be it. As a journalist and as an American, it is my job to hold those in power accountable when people are ignored. For the last 48 hours you have failed in your job to respond to the very people who hold up the economy of your city and still suffer the most. 

I don't have to convince you that a black life matters. Whether you care or not, you already know that. The question is, how do you plan to make it your job for four murderers to remember that?

Sincerely,

Jessica Wise | Co-Founder | Editor-in-Chief

Audacity Magazine & Events

At Audacity, black lives matter.

The four officers responsible have already been fired, but not arrested. If you want to take action, too, here’s how:

Email the County Attorney at citizeninfo@hennepin.us, or call (612)-348-5550.

Sign the petition: www.justiceforbigfloyd.com