Houston Police Chief Tells Donald Trump To Keep His ‘Mouth Shut’ When It Comes To Protests
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo had some harsh words for President Donald Trump on Monday when he advised the president to stay silent unless he had something “constructive” to contribute in the face of widespread protests.
“On behalf of the police chiefs in this country, if you don’t have anything constructive to say, keep your mouth shut.”
Acevedo made his comments during an interview with CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour. The host asked him about the president’s demands in a recent phone call that governors “dominate” protesters who have been involved in destructive protests in response to the death of George Floyd.
‘If you don’t have something constructive to say, keep your mouth shut’ — Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo is slamming Trump for suggesting governors need to ‘dominate’ protesters pic.twitter.com/BtLUWTqewN
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 3, 2020
Protests in Houston have been calmer than in other major cities, such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, and New York City. Acevedo told Amanpour he believed Trump’s comments to be wreckless because it was “putting men and women in their early 20’s at risk.”
“It’s not about dominating, it’s about winning hearts and minds. And let’s be clear, we do not want people to confuse kindness with weakness, but we do not want ignorance to ruin what we’ve got here in Houston.”
Very different scene in Houston from earlier. Protesters spill water and shout insults at Police Chief @ArtAcevedo. Now surrounding him and demanding that his department release body cam footage from recent police shootings. pic.twitter.com/waPu21JHjU
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) June 2, 2020
The police chief went on to say that he felt anyone who didn’t have something constructive to say shouldn’t say anything at all, calling it one of “the basic tenets of leadership.”
“And it hurts me to know end because whether we vote for someone or we don’t vote for someone, it’s still our president, but it’s time to be presidential…”
Acevedo’s comments came after a week of protests over the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed African American man who died while in police custody. There was nationwide outrage after the release of viral video footage of Floyd being arrested and detained with an officer’s knee on his neck for what is believed to be a minor offense. That officer has since been arrested and charged with murder for his treatment of Floyd.
60K+ in Downtown Houston for a peaceful protest. Proud of Houston!??????????#justiceforgeorgefloyd pic.twitter.com/0H4APv840W
— Corey Paul (@CoreyPaulMusic) June 2, 2020
Protests that began in Floyd’s city of residence, Minneapolis, spread across the world in a matter of days with almost every major city in the United States experiencing some form of protesting since Floyd’s Memorial Day passing.
The View‘s Meghan McCain said her Manhattan neighborhood looked like a “war zone” as The Inquisitr previously reported. McCain pointed the blame squarely at the city’s mayor and state governor for not keeping her neighborhood safe.
New York’s Times Square and other iconic areas were overwhelmed by looters earlier in the week as the protests swelled. Police resources were spread thin, allowing crime to go widely unchecked under cover of darkness. The National Guard has been called to assist in some states, but New York has, thus far, declined their assistance.
