Freeholder President Brendan Gill has issued the following statement regarding the George Floyd tragedy in Minnesota.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd, and I share the outrage expressed by the African American community at the brutality, and complete lack of humanity, exhibited by police officers who have been trained to protect and serve the community. I also feel a deep sadness in recognizing that the events surrounding Mr. Floyd’s death cannot be described as shocking. That is the true tragedy of the events in Minnesota, and everyone in our nation should feel that their rights to life and liberty have been attacked. Unfortunately, a great majority of people in this country do not feel attacked because they view George Floyd, a black man, as different. Mr. Floyd was not different. He was a father, a brother, a neighbor. He was all of us. The sooner we realize, as a nation, that the death of a black man is just as tragic as the death of ANY PERSON, we can begin the healing process that will unite us and bring about an understanding that all life is precious.