Q&A with former police officer about tension in America after George Floyd's death - Part 3

As our country faces increased tension in the weeks after George Floyd's death, Fox 4 is taking a deeper look at racial bias in policing.

George Floyd died in Minneapolis after an officer was caught on camera pushing his knee into his neck for several minutes during an arrest.

BAIL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND ISDUE BACK IN COURT LATER THISMONTH.AS WE CONTINUE TO TRACK THEPEACEFUL PROTESTS ANDDEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE OFGEORGE FLOYD, MANY OF YOU HAVEASKED WHAT KIND OF TRAINING LAWENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GO THROUGH,TO COMBAT RACIAL BIAS.

I TOOKTHAT QUESTION -- AND SEVERALOTHERS -- TO DR. DAVID THOMAS.HE’S A PROFESSOR OF FORENSICSTUDIES AT F-G-C-U.

BUT BEFORETHAT, HE WAS A POLICE OFFICERFOR 20 YEARS.

AND AS A BLACKMAN, HE HAS A DIFFERENTPERSPECTIVE FOR WHAT’S NEXT FOROUR COUNTRY.

HERE’S A BIT OF OURCONVERSATION.:33-:38LISA "Is there any kind oftraining to combat thepossibility of racism comingthrough in policing?"THOMAS "There’s a component inthe training that deals withbias on traffic stops.

I wouldsuspect after this is over.

It’sgoing to go through the roof.There’ll be training.

Trainingeverywhere.

I mean, every agencywill be doing something so theycan say that they address theissue"LISA "Do they need to bringsomething like that back?"THOMAS "I do but it also dependson who’s delivering it.

If theperson coming in doing thetraining was a cop and paidtheir dues and is coming in andhaving those conversations, it’sbetter received because you’vebeen there where we’ve been andyou understand the dynamics andso we’re willing to sit andlisten to you"LISA "what is giving you hoperight now, thought This couldget better?"THOMAS What gives me hope now isthat I’m actually believe it ornot, it’s the protests.

This isno longer going to be allowed tobe swept, the dirt swept underthe carpet.

It’s not going awayanytime soon.

And the beautifulpart about this is that it’sjust not black people in blacklives matter.

It is a crosssection and these protests arediverse, which means that peopleare tired and they’re fed up andthere needs to be change."LISA "what needs to happennext?"THOMAS "we’re talking a yeardown the road, is that there hasto be convictions.

Because thecountry, they have to havehealing.

They have to show thatthe justice system works.

Ithasn’t when it comes to lawenforcement officers.

Veryrarely are there convictionswhen officers are involved inany kind of behavior.

Whenofficers get away from thetactics they’ve been taught iswhen we have this problem.

Sountil they get a conviction, Ithink you’re going too seethings teetering.

And the Chiefshave to they have to haverelationships with not just the,the black leaders, they have tohave relationships with people.You could do town hall meetingor you could do you could do goto a community center, and justthe chief sit down with thepeople and have thoseconversations with them.

And sothey get to know the chief.

Youliterally have to get out beaton those doors and go sit downand have those small intimatemeetings with people.

There hasto be a reasonable conversation,Because the community isn’tgoing no where and the policeain’t going nowhere.

And thosetwo are going to have to sit anddecide what is the best way wecan work together" 77 secI’VE SHOWN YOU SEVERAL PARTS OFOUR CONVERSATION