KC mayor, police chief kneel, join protesters in moment of silence for George Floyd
As protesters gathered for a fourth straight day on the Country Club Plaza, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Police Chief Rick Smith joined them in a moment of silence.
At one point Monday afternoon, Lucas, along with Smith and other police officers took a knee and held a moment of silence for a black man, George Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
Protesters told the mayor they want to see more training, de-escalation and body cameras for police.
Lucas told the crowd he agreed.
“This is where we’re going to build it bit by bit to try to make it better,” Lucas said, indicating he understands the citizens’ frustrations. “Know that we and the city are trying to make a change,” he continued.
The mayor’s discussion with protesters came minutes after he and Smith spoke at a joint news conference about the weekend’s protests at the Plaza. The demonstrations were part of a series across the country sparked by the killing of Floyd during his arrest on Memorial Day in Minneapolis.
