La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron supports peaceful protests in honor of George Floyd
Chief Kudron would like to work with people in the community to bridge race gap in society
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) – La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron said he supports local protests as long as they are done peacefully. He said he feels for the family of George Floyd a man who died at the hand of Minneapolis Police office Derek Chauvin last week.
For those who haven’t seen those final 8 minutes and 46 seconds of Floyd’s life, it is hard to believe it’s real.
“It’s a difficult time in our nation,” said La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. “There’s no doubt about that.”
The death of Floyd has set off a storm of protests, riots, and feuds between law enforcement and the public. Demonstrations have turned violent in many communities, even in Madison over the weekend. However, protests remain calm and peaceful in La Crosse.
“The demonstrations really speak positively to our community members to come together to assemble to express their concerns,” Kudron said.
Kudron said he supports the people honoring Floyd. He appreciates how they raised their voices on this issue.
“We want our community members to understand and to know that they can come together,” Kudron said. “They can assemble and they can be safe when doing that.”
Neighboring Winona Police Department posted this to its Facebook page letting people know they support people’s right to protest during this time. Kudron said he hopes the demonstrations continue in a safe way. He said there is a call for change in this country.
“I think the main thing that needs to change is our ability to simply work together,” Kudron said.
Those last moments of Floyd’s life were difficult for him to watch.
“It was just the most unfortunate thing I could have witnessed,” Kudron said. “It did not have to happen that way. The officers involved in that scenario didn’t have to what they did.”
“My heart just goes out to the Floyd family and his loved ones.”
Kudron said the decision making of the officer charged in Floyd’s death does not represent law enforcement as a whole. He wants to hear people’s concerns so there’s better communication to keep this city safe.
“Our role is absolutely to protect and serve. We are here serving the community,” Kudron said. “We’re a part of this community and we want to serve this community to keep this community safe.”
Kudron asked organizers of protests to be transparent with law enforcement so they can ensure people remain safe during demonstrations in honor of Floyd.
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