TAMPA, Fla. -- ABC Action News spoke two police chiefs in Tampa Bay as the death of George Floyd once again reignited grave concerns about law enforcement's interactions with minority communities.
"You do question how would I respond, how would my department respond if that were in my city?" said Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan. "We evaluate what happened and then we try to apply what is learned."
Federal investigators on Thursday did not indicate if any one of the four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's death would be criminally charged.
ABC Action News reporter Ryan Smith asked Chief Dugan if those officers, who have since been fired, should be prosecuted.
"From what I’ve seen so far, it looks like that’s coming," said Chief Dugan. "I’ll be shocked if that does not happen."
St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway said the deadly encounter in Minneapolis is a tragic reminder of how critical community policing is in his city.
"How can we better communicate with our community? How can we train officers to deescalate in our community and vice versa?" said Chief Holloway.
This week's incident has reignited grave concerns about how law enforcement officers in America treat people in minority communities and the use of excessive force.
As the investigation unfolds, Renalia Dubose, an associate professor at Cooley Law School, is urging people to take their fight for justice to the voting booth.
"If a mayor runs a police department that allows this to happen, then that person needs to be voted out. We need to exercise our power at the ballot," said Dubose.
