Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour has thirty-plus years of policing. He's been honored for distinction by both his law enforcement colleagues and by the NAACP for being a man who's done so much for his African-American community.

DPD Chief Ridenhour officially addressed death of George Floyd on Saturday (May 30) on behalf of the Danbury Police Department, saying:

We are deeply troubled by the recent events in Minnesota. These actions are inexcusable and officers standing idly by when it happens is equally troubling and unacceptable.

We acknowledge the pain that this and all incidents of unnecessary force by police cause the nation as a whole and often communities of color in particular. We do not condone police brutality under any circumstances.

Please know that we cherish the relationship our department enjoys with the entire Danbury community. We will never take that relationship for granted and we will continue to do our best to to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all.

The Chief is precisely the person we should be looking to for answers on how to treat one another in the wake of a tragedy like this. He must be carrying a tremendous burden right now in both his social and professional message, so I applaud him having the guts to make any statement.

How can this country climb out of new challenges if we cannot overcome the same ones we've battled since our inception? Now, more than ever, we all have a choice to make, we can look around at the state of the world, throw our hands up and say, "why bother?" Or, we can recognize in the dark there is light, where there is bad there is still good. Our children are worth fighting for, if things are this bad for us now, what will we leave them?

P.S. The below video features Ethan Carey, Police Chief Ridenhour, Mayor Boughton, myself and so many others of different cultures and upbringings. The video is a lighthearted approach to a DPD recruitment video, and maybe some might say it's not appropriate to be paired with the subject matter, I would disagree strongly. This is what PEOPLE can do when they have care for one another and their home. PEOPLE smile, PEOPLE laugh and PEOPLE make their community a better place

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