George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd is speaking out about the calls to defund the police as he continues the fight for justice for his brother.
During an interview on Fox News’ “American News HQ,” Floyd highlighted the improvements he hopes will come from police reform while stressing the importance of proper policing.
He also insists there a way to “do your job” while maintaining a level of “respect for others.”
“What I would like is for all police around America to get their jobs and do them the right way, the correct way. Innocent people shouldn’t have to die,” Philonise Floyd said on Sunday evening. “You can do your job and still maintain respect for others.”
Philonise Floyd was also joined by Ben Crump, the attorney representing the Floyd family amid their civil battle against the Minneapolis Police Department.
While the family is seeking justice, Crump made it clear that the drastic “defund the police” initiative “has not come from Philonise Floyd’s family or anybody working with us.”
“We need transparency plus accountability and that’s how we can get to trust between communities of color and police in America,” Crump said. He added:
“Because we don’t want it to be two justice systems in America: one for black America and one for white America. What we want is equal justice for the United States of America.”
Like Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and other key Congressional Democrats including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Crump made it clear the Floyd family supports reform not defunding.
Many Democrats have explained that their sweeping police reform bill focuses on restructuring the police system in the United States as opposed to eliminating it, as previously reported on IJR. Crump echoed similar sentiments.
“We want to try to work to say we need to do restructuring and we need to work together and in concert, to try to solve this problem,” Crump explained.
He went on to discuss the depth of the problem as he noted that it is bigger than race. Crump also does not believe that all is lost.
“This is not a black problem. This is not a white problem,” Crump said. “This is an American problem, and the only way we can heal this country is by working together.”