Detroit dismissing most misdemeanor citations issued during George Floyd protests

by Justine Coleman - 01/26/21 2:38 PM ET

SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters march during a peaceful demonstration over the death of George Floyd, in Detroit, Michigan, June 3,2020

Detroit decided to dismiss most misdemeanor citations issued during certain days of the protests over George Floyd’s death, an official announced on Tuesday.

Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia said in a release that most of the misdemeanor citations given between May 31 and June 2 last year were for violating the 8 p.m. curfew declared in the city.

The city’s law department and police department spent the months since the demonstrations looking into videos and other evidence of the violations, she said, before deciding to dismiss a majority of the charges.

“Although certain cases from these two dates will be pursued, the city believes it is best to dismiss the vast majority of citations,” she said.

Detroit will overall dismiss 238 of the 245 violations issued on the three days, The Associated Press reported, citing Garcia. The other charges, outside of curfew violations, were for disruptive or violent behavior, for which police made arrests.

Detroit follows other cities and counties that have taken similar actions, including the Denver City Attorney’s Office, which dismissed 320 curfew charges related to Floyd protests, according to the AP.

The Harris County District Attorney’s office also dropped almost 800 criminal charges related to demonstrations against 602 people, according to Houston station KHOU-TV.

The death of Floyd, a Black man, came after a white now-former officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for an extended period of time, according to video footage. His May 25 death sparked days of nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality, leading many cities to issue curfews as some of the mostly peaceful demonstrations turned violent.

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, was charged with second-degree murder for Floyd’s death, while three other officers present on the scene were charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

Chauvin’s trial is scheduled to start in March, while the other officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas K. Lane and Tou Thao, will face trial in late August.