Forsyth County law enforcement officials are denouncing the actions of Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in their custody.
A video released this week showed an officer pressing his knee against Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes despite his pleas for help. At a press conference Friday, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. told reporters he was deeply disturbed by the footage.
"Before I was a police officer, I was a black man. And long after I'm no longer the sheriff, I'm still going to be a black man. I understand profiling. I understand it firsthand. I've experienced multiple times in my career," said Kimbrough. "What I would tell you, like many of you across this city, this county, in this country, I was horrified. I was angry.”
Kimbrough said that behavior would not be tolerated in his department. He said his officers are regularly trained and wear body cameras for accountability.
Kimbrough and Winston-Salem Chief of Police Catrina Thompson called the press conference hours after riots broke out in several U.S. cities in response to Floyd's death. Kimbrough admitted he's worried similar incidents could happen locally.
"It would be foolish of us as leaders not to be concerned about that. And of course, we do have a contingency plan should that happen," said Kimbrough. "But my prayer is that the people believe that we have community credibility.”
Kimbrough invited members of the public to email him about any unjust interactions they've had with his officers.