GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The images in Minneapolis reminded Derrick Owens of his childhood in Detroit.
"No human should be treated that way," says Owens who is now Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids.
Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack is equally horrified.
"If we can't get 90% of America to understand that's cold blooded murder I know we have a long way to go but we have an even longer way to go than I thought," says Womack.
Their frustration is high because the death of George Floyd comes the same week a New York woman tried filing a false police report against a black man.
"The common thread is racism," says Womack.
But they are encouraged by the swift action of firing the officers in Minneapolis and comments from some leaders like the city's mayor.
"What was heartfelt for me was you could see the passion from the mayor who talked about it and said if it was myself I would be in prison or jail and I could tell that he was very passionate about that," says Owens.
In addition to justice they say the key is education and they are encouraged about newly proposed Michigan legislation that would require implicit bias training for all officers in the state.
"That's a great first step but we need more," says Womack.
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