JOHNSON CITY'S POLICE CHIEF SAYS
DEPARTMENT
POLICY IS UNDER REVIEW AFTER
REQUESTS FROM A GROUP PUSHING
FOR RACIAL EQUALITY.
NEW TONIGHT..
MICHAEL EPPS FOUND OUT WHERE
THINGS STAND MORE THAN
TWO WEEKS AFTER PROTESTS TURNED
TENSE IN THE CITY'S
DOWNTOWN.
(NATS PROTESTS)
TWO WEEKS AFTER PROTESTORS
MARCHED THROUGH THE
STREETS OF JOHNSON CITY
RESULTING IN ELEVEN ARRESTS...
(NATS KNEELING MOMENT)
....
AND A POLICE OFFICER KNEELING IN
FRONT OF AND EMBRACING A LINE
OF PROTESTORS WHO'D SHUT DOWN
MAIN STREET IN THE CITY'S
DOWNTOWN....
(NATS TONIGHT FORUM)
PEOPLE GATHERED FOR AN
EDUCATIONAL EVENT....
A BLACK HISTORY HOUR ORGANIZED
BY THE NEW GENERATION FREEDOM
FIGHTERS...
THEY FOCUSED ON THE
RECONSTRUCTION ERA IN AN EFFORT
TO EDUCATE ON THE HISTORY OF THE
BLACK REVOLUTION
SOT IT'S DEEPER SO YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND WHY SYSTEMATICALLY
HISTORICALLY BLACK LIVES HAVE
NEVER MATTERED THAT'S WHY THIS
IS
IMPORTANT SO THAT YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND WHY WE FEEL THAT WAY
ANDRE JOHNSON HOSTED THE EVENT
AT FOUNDER'S PARK.
HE'S A BOARD MEMBER OF THE GROUP
THAT UNIFIED AFTER THE
PROTESTS.
LAST FRIDAY - BOARD MEMBERS MET
WITH CITY LEADERS AND THE
CHIEF OF POLICE BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS.
SOT I THINK IT WENT VERY WELL IT
WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION
AND WE HAD GOOD DIALOGUE BOTH
WAYS
CHIEF KARL TURNER - TALKING
ABOUT THAT MEETING WITH
NEWS CHANNEL 11 FOR THE FIRST
TIME TONIGHT.
SOT "A LOT OF WHAT THEY'RE
INTERESTED IN IS ALREADY IN OUR
POLICIES IT WAS A MATTER OF
SHOWING THAT IT'S IN OUR POLICY"
CHIEF TURNER SAID CURRENT POLICE
POLICY IS UNDER REVIEW.
(SOT) "SOME THINGS WE NEED TO
LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE AND MAKE
OUR DIRECTIVES A LITTLE MORE
CLEAR IN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL." NG
FREEDOM FIGHTERS SAID IN A
STATEMENT TUESDAY - THE
GROUP HAS A GOAL AND AGENDA IN
MIND FOR THE HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING OF THE PRESENT AND
FUTURE STATE OF JOHNSON CITY.
SOME HAVE SUGGESTED A PUBLIC
MURAL ADVOCATING A
MESSAGE OF RACIAL UNITY -
SIMILAR TO THE BLACK LIVES
MATTER MURALS PAINTED ON STREETS
IN OTHER CITIES.
DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE..
RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A MOMENT
FOCUSED ON EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
ABOUT THE PAST...
AND STRIVING FOR RESULTS IN THE
FUTURE.
SOT WE MARCH NOW WE NEED THEM TO
