Bronx leaders gathered in the Co-Op City section of The Bronx in a unified call for calm ahead of the verdict in the George Floyd murder trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the weekend, and announced that local houses of worship will remain open when the verdict is announced.

The event was a collaboration between Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, the Riverbay Corporation, and the 45th, 47th, 49th and 52nd Precinct Clergy Councils, as well as members of the Bronx Clergy Task Force.

 

Before the event, Clark said, “People always look to the clergy, look to their faith in times of challenge and crisis, and right now, we want to pray for justice.”

 

Recalling her idea for the rally which came to her the previous Thursday, Clark recalled, “I just called the meeting and said look, we need to be prepared. Let’s prepare for what happens the day that the verdict comes, and leading up to the verdict. Let’s come together united as one Bronx, and leave it to the clergy to make it all happen.”

Hoping to not see a repeat of the riots and looting that occurred along Fordham Road on June 1 last year, Clark continued, “I know out of all the boroughs in New York City, the Bronx is going to be the leader in showing that there’s justice and peace, and we are not going to destroy our community, because if we do that, then we’re destroying ourselves.”

 

Clark previously dismissed over 300 summonses for violating curfew amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic during the June 4, 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, following reports by Human Rights Watch that protestors’ rights had been violated, and following testimony presented during a State public hearing. The findings of different City-led, investigations which examined the handling by the NYPD of the BLM protests were accepted by both NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Both the commissioner and the mayor issued a statement following the release of the findings of the various investigations.

In response to the BLM protests last summer, measures were taken by the NYPD to try to improve relations with the community including outreach events where the process for submitting complaints to the Civilian Complaints Review Board (CCRB) was explained, during citywide community sessions. The CCRB is an independent agency empowered to receive, investigate, prosecute, mediate, hear, make findings, and recommend action upon receipt of complaints filed against members of the NYPD that allege the use of excessive or unnecessary force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or the use of offensive language.

 

The agency’s remit was expanded in Feb. 2021 to allow investigations into alleged NYPD sexual misconduct and false statements. In March 2021, the NYPD rolled out a new reporting tool in order to allow civilians to virtually report certain incidents in efforts to reduce unnecessary physical police interactions with the public, and increase efficiency. These include those relating to lost property, petit larceny, misdemeanor criminal mischief and graffiti.

 

During Sunday’s event, Reverend Doctor Debra Jenkins, the founding pastor at Faith at Work Christian Church in Co-Op City, told the crowd, “We’re here today to not tell young people how to feel… but we’re also dealing with the murder of Duante Wright. I have other names, but I’m going to stop with 13 year-old Adam Toledo.”

Wright was a 20-year-old African-American man who was shot and killed by a police officer on April 11, during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, MN. Toledo was a 13-year-old Mexican-American teen shot and killed by a Chicago police officer on March 29.

 

Jenkins continued, “We are typically concerned with the 18 and above group responding and reacting, but Adam was only 13, so we’re talking about middle school.”

 

Jenkins concluded, “They’re not only worried about being bullied on the playground, they have other concerns. We, as those who are older, we have our own feelings. We have a responsibility to every young person to navigate with them through their feelings in a positive way that will not lead to greater harm.”

 

Local elected officials in attendance included Assemblyman Michael Benadetto, representing Assembly District 82 in the Bronx, who had to leave before the event started, City Council Member Kevin Riley, representing Council District 12, and Congressman Jamaal Bowman, representing congressional district 16, Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, who represents City Council District 16 and Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández, representing Assembly District 80. The latter two elected officials are both running for the position of Bronx borough president in the June primary election.

Meanwhile, Clark told the crowd, “We’re also praying for peace for our community and our nation today. I don’t want to see people destroying the Bronx over this verdict whatever it is. We cannot destroy our own community. We’re just still trying to come out of COVID. We can’t destroy our businesses, they’re the ones that are helping us stay together.”

 

“We have to make sure,” Clark added, “we protect our businesses. We have to make sure we protect the police, we don’t want to see harm to them, because it’s their job to protect us and we’re going to make sure they have the ability and support to do that.”

 

Clark then announced, “This march, today, kicks off a number of events that we hope to have, so that on the day of the verdict, people will know where they can go to deal with the trauma and their experience that they feel when that verdict comes down, whatever it is.”

 

Clark concluded, “All of the churches, I know so many churches and houses of worship, are going to remain open, so people can go there and get solace.”

Bowman, who lost his mother, father-in-law and an uncle to COVID-19, told the crowd, “You know all of us have suffered so much loss, and then, with the backdrop of the George Floyd trial taking place, you go to sleep and hear about Toledo, and wake up and hear about a mass shooting done by a 19-year-old, so it’s heavy for all of us right now.”

 

Bowman, a former school principal then encouraged the crowd, telling them, “We have to do everything in our power to engage, listen to, learn from, and empower our young people to be their best selves, but that’s not going to happen if we’re not our best selves.”

 

Bowman added, “We have to do everything in our power to show an example to our young people and to each other, because guess what? We don’t know every damn thing, so we have to come together across race, across class, across religion to listen to, and hear from each other.”

Clark then announced a press conference would be taking place on the steps of Bronx Borough Hall on the Grand Concourse at 12 noon on Tuesday, April 20, called a “Prayer for Justice and Peace” where elected officials and community leaders would announce “all of the events” planned for the day of the verdict.

 

At around 5.05 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, it was reported by The Hill and other media outlets that Chauvin has been found guilty on all counts i.e. second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the murder case. The Hill reported that Chauvin’s defense team had portrayed the former police officer’s actions during the killing as a normal part of police work, and also rested on the idea that other factors led to Floyd’s death, a premise rejected by prosecutors.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.