Opinion: Police are killing Black people like my brother Alfred Olango like clockwork. This has to stop.

Abuka is a community leader and president of the Alfred Olango Foundation. He lives in East County.

Life should always be valued. George Floyd said, “I can’t breathe” — the last words uttered by a man desperately begging for air. This man’s life was undervalued. His cries were inhumanely disregarded. Authorities abused their power while apprehending Floyd. As a result, they stole a man’s life. Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd in cold blood. The lack of remorse showed the intention behind his actions. The world watched Floyd’s final minutes in disbelief. In a repulsive manner, he was taken from his family and loved ones.

His death was the spark of a monumental reaction. Chauvin and his associates ignored the pleas from Floyd. Those same cries were felt nationwide. Protests were held in every state simultaneously in support of Floyd. His final seconds touched the hearts of millions.

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I lost my brother, Alfred Olango, to police brutality in 2016. Richard Gonsalves of the El Cajon Police Department shot my unarmed brother numerous times. In 2020, the wound and pain of losing my brother was reopened as I watched the way Floyd was mistreated. The agony of watching a man restrained and suffocated to death leaves me speechless. To add insult to injury, this was disrespect to death.

Chauvin was found guilty on the charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. This case dealt with life and death. Which means it’s as simple as right or wrong. Chauvin drove his knee into Floyd’s neck for approximately 9 minutes and 29 seconds. That amount of time is extremely distasteful. It permitted other officers numerous opportunities to save his life. After multiple calls for medical assistance, Floyd was unresponsive, and Chauvin refused to remove his knee from Floyd’s neck. These are not the actions of an individual sworn to protect and serve the people.

I agree the verdict was correct. I am content with the results of this ruling. The family of Floyd deserves this as a start. Floyd is gone forever. We have a verdict and the sentence awaits. This process is a marathon. We’ve taken a step in the right direction. Along this journey we have had an uphill battle. We must continue to remain resilient and push forward. The importance of this verdict must never be overlooked.

Yet I have learned to never celebrate prematurely. It’s very hard to celebrate this victory when a life was lost. We have a mission and the job isn’t finished. We need change, and the focal point is longevity. We demand long-term accountability. This is a start in the right direction. We have to focus on the issue as a whole. This victory was one battle in a war on people of color. The problem is the amount of Black lives constantly being stolen. Daunte Wright is another Black man, a 20-year-old who was also killed earlier this month. Another Minneapolis area police officer, Kimberly Potter, allegedly mistook her gun for her Taser. This happened about 10 minutes away from Floyd’s murder scene. For us this fight continues. I believe justice is met when the police mindset is reset. We must reprogram the concept of a threat.

Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, the other officers at the scene of Floyd’s arrest, are just as much responsible for his death as Chauvin. Where do you draw the line? The man is begging for his life and crying for his deceased mother. They humiliated this man before they removed him from this earth. It’s disturbing to watch them do it in such a careless manner. All four officers were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. The three besides Chauvin have also been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. The trial should begin in August. The verdict on the charges of these former officers awaits. In my opinion, they were accomplices to this murder. They should also all be found guilty.

Moving forward, we must go back to the drawing board. We have to acknowledge this victory and the importance it holds. America determined this verdict far before the jury deliberation. The impact of his death was felt nationwide. The unity formed was a defining factor. When these unfortunate circumstances take place, we demand accountability on a consistent basis. At the root of this issue is that we have a two-prong problem, accompanied by many other important variables. We have officers killing Black people like clockwork. Then we have those officers getting away with it. The focus should be to neutralize the first part of this problem. This will eliminate the occurrence of the second portion. The Declaration of Independence addresses life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let us make sure everyone is provided the opportunity of life.