>> Sreenivasan: THE UNREST OVER
THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AGAIN
PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON HOW POLICE
OFFICERS ARE PROSECUTED AND HOW
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM DOES, OR DOES
NOT, ADDRESS RACIAL BIAS AND
INEQUALITY.
IN 2014 A WHITE POLICE OFFICER
SHOT AND KILLED MICHAEL BROWN IN
FERGUSON, MISSOURI.
TWO YEARS LATER THE PEOPLE OF
ST. LOUIS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED
KIMBERLY GARDNER TO BE THE
CIRCUIT ATTORNEY, THE CHIEF
STATE PROSECUTOR FOR THAT CITY.
SHE'S THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
TO HOLD THAT POSITION, AND HAS
PROMISED TO BOTH REFORM AND
REBUILD TRUST IN THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM AMONG COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR.
SHE'S ALSO FACING LAWSUITS AND
CHALLENGES IN ONGOING CASES AND
IS SEEKING REELECTION THIS
SUMMER.
I SPOKE WITH HER ON FRIDAY
AFTERNOON.
MS. GARDNER, THANKS FOR JOINING
US.
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AS
YOU SEE THE PROTESTS IN
MINNEAPOLIS?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WHAT GOES
THROUGH MY MIND IS I WANT TO
SEND MY SENTIMENTS OUT TO THE
FAMILY AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
AS A PROSECUTOR, WE'RE DEALING
WITH THE RACIAL INEQUITIES OF
THE HARM AND THE MISTRUST OF, OF
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF, OF THOSE INEQUITIES BEING
DISPLAYED FOR THE PUBLIC.
>> Sreenivasan: WHEN YOU SEE THE
VIOLENCE, THE FIRES, WHAT GOES
THROUGH YOUR HEAD?
>> WHAT I SEE IS A COMMUNITY
HURTING.
WHAT I SEE IS THE EVERYDAY
SLIGHTS THAT HAPPEN IN
COMMUNITIES AROUND THIS COUNTRY.
WHEN WE DEAL WITH RACIAL
INEQUALITIES AND THE SYSTEMIC
ISSUES THAT WE ALWAYS LOOK AT
THIS THESE BIG INSTANCES OF MIKE
BROWN.
WE LOOK AT THE-- WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN MINNESOTA WITH
GEORGE FLOYD.
BUT WHAT WE DON'T LOOK AT AS A
PROSECUTOR ARE THOSE EVERYDAY
SLIGHTS THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAVE MISTRUST WITH THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM, THAT PEOPLE NEED
LAW ENFORCEMENT THE MOST IN
THESE COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE FRUSTRATED AND THEY'RE
TIRED.
I MEAN, AS A PROSECUTOR, I'M
THINKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
AND HOW DO WE ROOT OUT
INDIVIDUALS WHO CAUSE HARM TO
THE COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF
THEIR OCCUPATION?
>> Sreenivasan: HOW SHOULD A
PROSECUTOR BALANCE OUT THE NEEDS
TO ENFORCE THE LAW, WORKING WITH
POLICE AND THE SYSTEMIC
SHORTCOMINGS AND INEQUALITIES
THAT YOU'RE POINTING TO?
>> AS A PROSECUTOR, WE HAVE TO
BE ABOUT ADDRESSING THE ROOT
CAUSES OF THE MISTRUST IN THE
SYSTEM.
AND THAT MEANS HOLDING EVERYBODY
ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT CERTAIN GROUPS
ARE BEING WITH, YOU KNOW,
WHETHER WE SUPPORT LAW
ENFORCEMENT OR NOT.
WE SUPPORT JUSTICE AND THAT'S
OUR JOB.
>> Sreenivasan: IN THE CASE OF
THE PLAIN VIEW PROJECT, YOU WERE
ABLE TO FIND POLICE OFFICERS IN
THEIR PRIVATE TIME SAYING
HORRIBLE THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND I WONDER, WHEN YOU WERE
DOING THAT, DID YOU THINK, YOU
KNOW WHAT?
I'VE GOT THESE OFFICERS, MAYBE
SOME OTHER ONES WILL STOP
POSTING.
BUT DOES THAT CHANGE HOW THEY
FEEL TOWARDS PEOPLE OF COLOR?
>> WHEN YOU HAVE A BIAS OR
ANIMUS AGAINST CERTAIN GROUPS
THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT
AND SERVE WE HAVE TO DO OUR JOB
TO PROTECT JUSTICE.
AND THAT MEANS IF WE EXCLUDE
THOSE OFFICERS FROM TESTIFYING
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT CREDIBLE,
BECAUSE THEY SHOW HAVE SHOWN A
BIAS TO CERTAIN GROUPS.
SO WHEN THEY BRING THAT ARREST,
THAT ARREST WILL BE SCRUTINIZED
DIFFERENTLY OR THEY HAVE TO BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THAT'S HOW WE STOP THESE,
THESE EVERYDAY SLIGHTS THAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THESE
SYSTEMATIC INJUSTICES.
AND THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO ROOT
OUT THOSE BAD ACTORS IN THE
COMMUNITY AS WELL AS ON A POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
>> Sreenivasan: CONSIDERING
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE
PAST FEW WEEKS, WHETHER IT'S THE
CASE OF MR. AUBREY, OR CLOSER TO
HOME, MS. TAYLOR, OR NOW
MR. FLOYD, WHAT DOES ALL THIS
SIGNAL TO YOU?
>> THIS SIGNALS WE HAVE TO DO
BETTER, THIS SIGNALS WE HAVE TO
COME TOGETHER AS PEOPLE TO
ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES, THE
WAY WE IN THIS, IN OUR COMMUNITY
SEE THESE INSTANCES OF VIOLENCE
AGAINST PEOPLE WHO POLICE SHOULD
PROTECT AND SERVE.
AND WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO
REALLY LOOK AT HOW WE CAN ROOT
OUT THE RACIAL INEQUALITIES IN
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPERATIVE
THAT WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE PEOPLE
WHO ARE IN THESE POSITIONS,
WHETHER YOU'RE LAW ENFORCEMENT,
WHETHER YOU'RE A PROSECUTOR,
WHETHER YOU'RE A JUDGE, TO
RECOGNIZE THE HISTORICAL ISSUES
WITH MISTRUST IN THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND WE HAVE TO CORRECT THAT
MISTRUST.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY,
ALL COMMUNITIES, FEEL THAT THEY
CAN CALL THE POLICE AND FEEL
SAFE.
>> Sreenivasan: SADLY, WE'VE HAD
THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, WE'VE
TALKED ABOUT THE NEEDS FOR
COMMUNITIES TO COME TOGETHER.
WHY ARE WE NOT SOLVING THIS
PROBLEM?
>> WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS IN A
WAY WHERE WE CAN BE BEYOND LIP
SERVICE.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE REAL ACTION,
AND WE HAVE REAL ACTION.
THAT'S WHY A PROSECUTOR LIKE
MYSELF AND OTHER PROSECUTORS
AROUND THIS COUNTRY HAVE BEEN
ELECTED TO, TO LOOK AT HOW WE
CAN MAKE THE SYSTEM FAIR AND
ADDRESS THOSE ROOT CAUSES OF THE
MISTRUST IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
AND WE SHOULD STOP RATIONALIZING
VIOLENCE AND HATE AGAINST OTHER
PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES THAT NEED
POLICE THE MOST.
>> Sreenivasan: WHAT DO YOU SEE
AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE GOING
FORWARD?
>> I HEAR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
REALLY TALKING AND HAVING THESE
TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE HAVE
TO HAVE MORE THAN CONVERSATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ACTION,
BECAUSE THIS RACIAL ANIMUS IN
THIS COUNTRY IS HOLDING US BACK.
WE SEE THAT MORE THAN EVER WITH
THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC, HOW IT'S
AFFECTING BLACK AND BROWN
COMMUNITIES MORE THAN ANY OTHER
COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH
DISPARITIES.
THE SAME DISPARITIES ARE
DISPLAYED IN THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
FERGUSON WAS THE GROUND ZERO OF
THAT CONVERSATION, AND WE'RE
GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH AND
FIGHT.
>> Sreenivasan: KIM GARDNER,
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT.
