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What’s needed for police accountability after the killing of George Floyd?

A group of demonstrators in Midtown Memphis on Wednesday protest the recent deaths of three black Americans across the country holding signs with the name of George Floyd who was killed in Minneapolis. The protest turned when a counter-protester holding a Confederate 901 sign showed up. Police closed part of Union Avenue and put up barricades to keep the two groups separated.W 28200

Video footage of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has sparked protests and led to the arrest of the officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck. David Rubenstein Fellow Rashawn Ray places Floyd’s killing into the long continuum of police violence, explains how traditional internal police disciplinary measures fall short of true accountability, and identifies the systemic changes needed to weed out bad actors in law enforcement.

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Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo, Chris McKenna, Fred Dews, Marie Wilken, and Camilo Ramirez for their support.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

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