Undersheriff Talks Protests

berriencountysheriffdept-53
berriencountysheriffdept-53

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department stands with the Michigan Sheriff’s Association as it condemns the actions of Minneapolis police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd. The association has called the actions of the officers bad policing, and Berrien County Undersheriff Chuck Heit agrees.

“On behalf of the county and obviously as a law enforcement agency with the sheriff, we are sickened by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the four Minneapolis police officers,” Heit said. “We condemn those actions that led to his death, and we also support the right of individuals to protest peacefully and will protect the right for them to do so.”

Speaking at a Friday update with the Berrien County Health Department, Heit said the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department will continue to work to win the trust of the community. Speaking about an hour earlier, Michigan Chief Medical Executive Joneigh Khaldun said we’re waiting to see if the protests will increase COVID transmission.

“At this point, it’s still a little early to be able to see a trend,” Khaldun said. “At this point, I don’t know of any cases that are associated with that, but we will have to continue to monitor that.”

Khaldun said she stands with the protesters, but hopes they wear masks and attempt to social distance. She also said it’s better to march with someone you know so that person can be tracked down by contact tracers should you come down with coronavirus.