A city in Mississippi issued an apology after its mayor brushed off the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd.
Petal, Mississippi, Mayor Hal Marx outraged many on Wednesday night when he tweeted that he did not believe the police officers who arrested Floyd took actions that were “unreasonable.” He said people shouldn’t rush to judgment about the officer’s actions.
“If you are talking about the incident in MN, I didn’t see anything unreasonable,” Marx said. “If you can say you can’t breathe, you’re breathing. Most likely that man died of overdose or heart attack. Video doesn’t show his resistance that got him in that position. Police being crucified.”
He later expanded on his remarks, telling the Hattiesburg American, “I think that people are so quick to judge the police before they have all the facts,” he said. “I can’t say whether a crime was committed or whether they did anything right or wrong, all I’m saying is don’t rush to judgment based on what you see in that video.”
Marx’s tweets caught the attention of many, including Javon Patterson, an offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts. Patterson, who grew up in Petal, called the remarks “disturbing.”
“You know as a former resident of Petal … this is truly disturbing to see. To know that a leader of community feels right even posting this,” Patterson wrote.
You know as a former resident of Petal … this is truly disturbing to see. To know that a leader of community feels right even posting this.. pic.twitter.com/3weA4umEvE
— Javon Patterson (@JPatterson__8) May 27, 2020
Marx appears to have deleted his Twitter account since the outrage began. He did, however, post a response on Facebook. According to a screenshot obtained by WLBT, Marx wrote, “The tolerant progressives can’t tolerate a simple statement of fact and a request not to rush to judgment.”
In response to the controversy, the city council of Petal posted a statement apologizing for the mayor’s remarks.
“The comments made on Mayor Hal Marx’s personal Facebook page are not representative of all of our city leaders. We understand the frustrations his statements have caused,” the council wrote. “Those comments are his personal views and he has the right to share his views on his personal page.”
“We strive to love everyone and care for people from all walks of life and backgrounds here in the Friendly City. We are saddened by the events which led to this post,” they added. “We have fine police officers who are properly trained and do a great job of keeping us all safe.”
Floyd’s death was recorded in a video that was posted online. During his arrest, a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes until Floyd became unresponsive. Prior to losing consciousness, Floyd pleaded with the officer and told him he could not breathe. The four officers involved in the incident have all been fired by the department.
