Alexandria Sheriff Issues Statement on the Death of George Floyd

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne released the following statement over the weekend:

“As a law enforcement officer for over 41 years I can say unequivocally that the actions taken by the former police officers in Minneapolis that caused the death of George Floyd were inexcusable. No law enforcement officer has ever been trained to take the actions that those officers took; they have been trained to do the exact opposite. The ultimate responsibility of a law enforcement officer is to preserve and protect the lives of ALL members of the community they serve.

This event is a tragic reminder that we, as law enforcement officers, must do more to hold each other to the high standard of conduct that is expected and demanded by those we serve. We cannot stand by and remain silent when unacceptable conduct by our peers occurs, no matter how minor or major it is.  We must be better for ourselves and our community as lives depend on it. I can assure you that this has been and always will be my message to my staff.

As Sheriff, I am given the gift of protecting and serving our community. I have always considered it a duty and an honor.  It disturbs me when I see others abuse that power. There is no room for people like this in law enforcement.

Sheriff Dana Lawhorne
May 30, 2020″

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