As we continue to participate in social distancing in order to help minimize the spread of COVID-19, the way in which lawmakers and law enforcement are choosing to enforce social distancing has been confusing and inconsistent. In New York City, where there have been a large concentration of COVID-19 cases, officials have stated that there is no specific set of guidelines for police to follow in enforcing social distancing. The NYPD recently faced backlash for its methods of enforcement after a video of the violent arrest of Donni Wright, which left Wright hospitalized, on Saturday circulated around social media.
In the video, Wright, an African-American man, is approached by Officer Francisco Garcia. Garcia is seen yelling at Wright before suddenly forcing Wright to the ground and striking him multiple times, as the person recording the video repeats that Wright did not do anything to warrant such a violent response from Garcia. Viewers also noted that Garcia was not wearing a mask despite the CDC and government officials recommending that everyone wear masks to help slow the spread of the virus. Videos of other instances of police brutality in African-American communities during the pandemic have also surfaced, including a video of police spraying pepper spray at people attending a funeral and another video of an officer choking an African-American man and forcing him to the ground.
In contrast, New Yorkers who crowded parks over the weekend saw a much different response from the police. Rather than the violent response seen from police in minority communities, police were seen handing out masks and reminding people to distance themselves from each other. The photos of these parks show that these crowds of people were largely white, with very few of them wearing masks. These photos have sparked outrage, as people have pointed out the inconsistencies in the enforcement of social distancing orders, especially between these crowds at the parks and minority, particularly African-American, communities. Why should those people at the park be treated so gently and leniently, while minority communities are falling victim to police brutality?
Police brutality and racism are still a prominent issues that cannot be ignored or diminished, especially while ethnic minorities are already being disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The enforcement of social distancing has only seemed to give police more excuses to act violently against minorities, and officers involved in these instances of police brutality need to be held responsible. During this pandemic, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the ways COVID-19 is negatively and disproportionately impacting minority communities.
