Report on the Conflict Between the Public and Police Following the Assassination of George Floyd - Free Essay

The media is currently airing what seems to be a heated conflict between the police and the American citizens following the death of George Floyd in police custody. The public has portrayed its anger through protests and termed the police actions as race-based police brutality. Four suspects that include Derrick Chauvin, who allegedly performed the heinous act, are the main suspected perpetrators of the murder. The US government has been trying to intervene in the conflict by firing the involved police.

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However, the public and George’s family do not seem satisfied with the measures taken by the Trump administration to solve the crisis. Without better intervention strategies, conflicts may escalate to causing other severe cases, as witnessed in Minneapolis protests that have destroyed property. Some other people and police are also sustaining injuries following the demonstrations. This report will, therefore, suggest better alternative dispute resolution (ADR) intervention strategies that can be used to mitigate the conflict between George Floyd’s family members, the public, and the police institution.

Conflict Analysis

According to media news, George Floyd met his death on the night of May 25th, 2020 (Levinson-King, 2020). Report news indicates that George Floyd tried to purchase cigars using a fake dollar and was reported to the police by the merchant trader (Levinson-King, 2020). George Floyd was still in the car when the police arrived at the scene. News sources indicate that the seller had also informed the police that George was intoxicated when purchasing cigars (Levinson-King, 2020).

CCTV footage retrieved by BBC News shows that the police officers reached out to Floyd’s car. In the video, Floyd and the police officers engage in a dialogue, and Floyd gets handcuffed. The police tried to get Floyd to the back seat of their car, but he resisted and fell to the ground. When Floyd fell on the ground, four police officers, namely Derrick Chauvin, Tou Thao, Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane surrounded him and exerted force on his neck and legs. Derrick Chauvin is, however, the man who was spotted kneeling on Floyd’s neck until he lost his consciousness.

Floyd’s family members and the public are lamenting the death of the 46-year-old in the hands of police brutality. They are accusing the four police of murder and want strict measures to be employed for justice to be accorded to Floyd. Although the police officers have been suspended from their work, the public still thinks that they expect the case to be explored further. They want a clear explanation of why the police had to kill Floyd in such a manner. The conflict has escalated to anti-racism protests in America and globally, and quick intervention strategies should be employed to prevent the crisis from escalating.

Mitigating the Conflict Using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Intervention Strategies

Litigation is the first conflict resolution that George’s family employed after George’s murder through police brutality. However, the prosecution has not produced an excellent result in the case involving George Floyd’s family and the police as the accused police were released on cash bail. The family and the public still feel that George has not yet received justice. Such a situation necessitates the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for interventions.

Arbitration is an excellent alternative dispute resolution that can work in the conflict between the public and the police following the assassination of George Floyd. Arbitration entails the intervention of a private party or the arbitrator. The arbitration will help to halt the current wrangles between protestors and the police and spearhead timely justice for the victim (Okeke, 2019). The process of arbitration will be cheap and quick compared to ordinary judicial proceedings. The process will save the judges from the anxieties associated with adjudicating severe international cases.

Mediation as an alternative dispute resolution strategy will also help intervene in the conflict between the public and the police following the assassination of George Floyd. Mediation entails the intervention of a neutral third party when mitigating a conflict (Okeke, 2019). A mediator will be significant for justice to prevail in George Floyd’s case. The mediation will help the public and police institutions to solve their differences amicably and prevent the ongoing police and mass wrangles in which many have sustained injuries. Mediation is strategic in creating balance and restoring order. Currently, the police department and the public are in a messy relationship, which will require mediation as an ADR strategy to intervene in restoring a good relation between them (Kaija & Kudeikina, 2018).

However, the applicability of mediation has been facing challenges in the past years (Kaija & Kudeikina, 2018). Research indicates that mediation applicability started increasing after 2005 (Kaija & Kudeikina, 2018). Mediation applicability is nowadays possible and serving as a multi-functional tool in legal processions. Mediation is strategic in conflict resolution because of its significance in offering equal understanding representation focused on reconciling the victim and the defendant. The applicability of mediation as an intervention strategy is also because it maintains harmonious interaction with the possibilities provided by law (Kaija & Kudeikina, 2018). Mediation application in dispute resolutions is called for because of its ability to reduce social tensions. It also presents diverse procedures and forms and alleviation of strict measures.

References

Kaija, S., & Kudeikina, I. (2018). Legal Scope of the Mediation and Problem of Applicability. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 7(4), 372-372. https://ojs.ecsdev.org/index.php/ejsd/article/download/714/709

Levinson-King. R. (2020, June 9). George Floyd death: Seven solutions to US police problems. CBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52981634. Retrieved on June 11, 2020.

Okeke, A. A. (2019). Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a Means to Improve Access to Timely Justice and a Pathway to Economic Growth in Nigeria (Doctoral dissertation). https://scholarworks.unr.edu/bitstream/handle/11714/6714/Okeke_unr_0139M_13056.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y