Noem floats idea of police reforms in light of Floyd death

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SIOUX FALLS (AP) – South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Wednesday said she will be examining the state's policing laws in light of what she called the “gut-wrenching” death of George Floyd.

The Republican governor stuck to a conservative approach to the issue and didn't have many specifics on policies she would like to see changed. She acknowledged that a pressing problem was revealed by the death of Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died in Minneapolis last week after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd pleaded for air and eventually stopped moving.

Video of the arrest sparked peaceful protests and civic unrest in cities throughout the country.

“Personally, I haven't even been able to make it through the video yet,” she said. “It has been gut-wrenching to watch."

The governor said Floyd's death and the ensuing protests had made their point, but she spent much of the time at a news conference echoing conservative talking points: the need for personal responsibility, local control of policy changes and family values.

She mentioned that she would look into changing laws on contract negotiations with police unions, civil asset forfeiture laws and the use of police body cameras. Most reforms would have to come through the Legislature, which won't meet in a regular session until January.

“We are sitting down with an open mind, examining the data and the facts around each of these policies,” she said.

National Guard troops were deployed in three South Dakota cities after people destroyed property and threw rocks at police in Sioux Falls on Sunday night. An earlier protest during the day was peaceful, but Noem said she posted National Guard troops nearby in case things turned violent.

She condemned the vandalism and other unrest, calling it "an end-run around public discourse.” She said she looked forward to having a dialogue with advocates from the black community on how to improve policing.

That conversation is something that one organizer would welcome. Julian Beaudion, who organized the Sioux Falls protest and is a state highway trooper, said he would meet with Noem if given the opportunity.

He had several ideas for how policing could change but described more systemic changes that would allow what he called “oppressed minorities” to have a say in police tactics.

“There has to be an understanding of the community first, so we’re not just treating the problem, but the root of the problem,” he said.

Beaudion said he feels that many South Dakota police officers were outraged by the death of Floyd but have not been empowered to come alongside protests or change their tactics when people are in danger.

Laura Renée Chandler, another protest organizer and director of the South Dakota African American History Museum, said she would also advocate for more transparency in police departments.