City of Beacon's Mayor Lee Kyriacou Issues Statement In Response To Guilty Verdict In Derek Chauvin Trial

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On Wednesday afternoon, just before the end of the business day, City of Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued the following statement in response to the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial:

“Yesterday’s verdict holds accountable a former police officer for the killing of George Floyd, a horrifying act recorded and seen across the globe. I hope the verdict will provide at least some comfort to Mr. Floyd’s family and friends. On a broader level, this verdict provides a measure of justice and is a milestone in promoting healing and change across our nation.

“I continue to believe fervently in Martin Luther King’s words, that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ Mr. Floyd’s death has been and will continue to be a catalyst for change in policing, and more broadly for change on how our country lives up to its ideals, to ensure true justice and equality for all, regardless of race, color, creed, ability, or who you love.”

Beacon Listens To Verdict Of Derek Chauvin; Justice and Accountability For George Floyd And World

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On a summery Spring Tuesday afternoon, the verdict on Derek Chauvin arrived. This was after national morning news reports of speculation on how this decision could take weeks to deliberate.

Social media started lighting up at 4:30pm when news surfaced that the verdict would be read in court in moments. It had only been 2 days since the trial ended. Personal texts started arriving with predictions. Prep-time for after-school activities for parents and kids began as some people had the TV on live cable news channels or SiriusXM radio to hear live coverage.

Laces for cleats for soccer and flag football, as well as ballet slippers were pulled tight as the verdict was read for ex-police officer Derek Chauvin: Second-Degree Unintentional Murder (Guilty), Third-Degree Murder (Guilty) and Second-Degree Manslaughter (Guilty). The jury took 10-hours to deliberate over 2 days, according to CNN.

Quietly, the Black community has been watching this trial in revived trauma, afraid of no justice, while listening to reports of what the jurists were shown and told. Yet surprising testimonies were given by police training experts condemning the use of force, including the Police Chief Medaria Arradondo of the Minneapolis Police Department, who testified against former police officer Derek Chauvin during the trial: “To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back — that in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy,” said the chief as reported by the New York Times. “It is not part of our training. And it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values.”

Moraya Seeger DeGeare, MA, LMFT, a therapist based in emotional therapy in Beacon who until the last few years also lived in Minneapolis (she was born and raised in Beacon), tagged A Little Beacon Blog with the thought: “As we sit in anxious limbo…waiting. It’s come up a lot in therapy how although only kids at the time - remembering the Rodney King verdict, how this feels the same 30 years ago. Remember that fact, no matter the outcome of this trial. We MUST have the conversations with our kids.”

And each other. Thanks to local people and groups who organically organized over last Summer 2020, Beacon showed up and pulled up for the injustice and mistreatment that has been happening to Black people for ever. Groups like Beacon4BlackLives, which organically started with a few people including Justice McCray, Ciarda Hall, Stefon Seward, Xavier Mayo, and Cedric Parksdale, gave Beacon the opportunity to speak out, and tell stories that have otherwise gone untold or not believed.

Statements From Local Officials

A Little Beacon Blog has reached out for statements from Beacon’s Police Chief Sans Frost, the Vice President of the Beacon Police Union Michael Confield, and Mayor Lee Kayriacou. Should any of them respond, this article will be updated.

UPDATE: The City of Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou has responded with a statement.

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro has issued a statement via Instagram: “With faith in our justice system, and sincerest prayers to the Floyd family, I’m hopeful out of atrocity today’s verdict will help heal our nation. It won’t bring George Floyd, Gianna’s father back - may we always seek accountability, justice and peace.”

The work has just begun and as George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, said in a speech after the verdict, “We have to do this for life. We have to protest,” as he spoke of the work ahead as the family celebrated the moment, but vowed to continue for police reform, beginning with the the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act of 2020, co-written by Vice President of the United Sates Kamala Harris.

Locals responded, including Fareground, Poughkeepsie Observer, Beacon Hood Chicken, Zhanes Pallette, Twinkle, Beacon4Black Lives, Yvonne de Salle, and others.

Opportunities To Gather

Those who are wishing for togetherness have an opportunity to gather in Newburgh for an evening organized by former Beacon Councilmember Ali T. Muhammad, who is a Beaconite currently living in Newburgh and running for Orange County Executive. Details are here, and the trip to Newburgh for the event would be worth it. The event will be co-hosted by Melanin Unchained and Ali at Sunset, with a potluck available for those breaking fast for Ramadan. Address is 29 Prospect Street, Newburgh, NY.

Monday March In Beacon Against Police Brutality & Racism - Video, Photos and March Experience

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Word about this march floated through Instastories, passed from friend to friend, that a march down Main Street was planned in Beacon to speak and chant and kneel against police brutality and racism. One mom heard about it from her teenager. Organized by a student who is black and wanted to not use his name in the initial organizing, citing fear of being targeted as others have in other cities. Lineup was at 2:45pm at Chase Bank, and by 2:30pm, dozens of students - black and brown and white - young and old and with canes and knee braces - were walking down Main Street towards the mountain to start at the beginning - the parking lot of Chase Bank - before marching down Main Street.

White youths who carry tennis racquets in backpacks. Maybe there’s a round-robin after the march? After the march, as people gathered at Pohill Park, the speakers conjured Martin Luther King in their inspiration.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

One white youth carried 3 tennis racquets in his back pack, while his 2 friends each carried at least one racquet while another eagerly passed out water bottles. When offered the water bottles, several march participants declined. Water bottles have come to be symbolic as they are hurdled at police cars in other cities across the country. There was no police presence around Chase during the warm-up of the crowd as more and more people gathered. People held signs and left the drive-way open at Chase for bank customers to drive out after doing transactions at the window.

One protestor’s sign asks: “Beacon Police: How are you speaking out?”
This photo taken while marchers were chanting: “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot”
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Participants kneeling for George Floyd against police brutality.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Before the march began, two students rallied the crowd. In the crowd was one of Beacon’s City Council members Terry Nelson of Ward 1, who attended with his daughter (see ALBB’s full interview with Terry here). One student who is brown circled around in the group, breathing phrases into everyone’s lungs, as he encouraged people to shout: “I Can’t Breath,” “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” and “Say My Name: George Floyd.” Everyone put their hands up as they shouted “Don’t Shoot.” At other times, the march leader told everyone to take a knee against police brutality, which they did. A young woman with caramel skin got up on his shoulders and thanked the people for coming, getting choked up as she looked at the variety of faces who were there to show support. “This means everything right now. Everything. To see all of you out here. Every skin color…This is real and it’s happening everywhere!” After the march, she encouraged participants to educate their white friends.

One of the organizers, thanking the participants for showing up, and stressing the importance of why they were there.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Signs read: “Skin color is not reasonable suspicion,” and “No Justice No Peace Black Lives Matter”
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The march began down Main Street, headed away from the mountain and to the Hudson River and Pohill Park, the traditional meeting spot for rallies, protests, and celebrations. Shortly after the people began marching in a sea of signs, a police presence appeared up ahead. At least 3 police cars spaced themselves out in front of march in a moving street closure, where they drive with the marchers by escorting in front. Today it was providing protection for the marchers, who by now had grown to a quarter mile long. Main Street is one mile long.

Beacon Police created a moving street closure for the march. The street closure lasted until Wolcott Avenue, where traffic was stopped both ways to create a safe space on Wolcott for when the crowd arrived at Pohill Park.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

After The March, The Speeches

The people filed in at Pohill Park, with the overflow people people going up South Avenue and Main Street. Police blocked off Wolcott Avenue from Rombout Avenue to West Main Street (the street that takes you to the train). Police officers were gathered in the middle of that intersection, with one directing traffic and the others discussing among themselves. A few people from the march approached the group of officers to say: “Join us!” The officers discussed, and later, after two speeches by the organizers, one officer, whose face many regular attendees would recognize from City Council Meetings as he weighs in on questions about enforcement regulations, emerged from crowd.

During the speeches, the two organizers continued to lead the attendees in chanting, while still more new people joined the group. One grandmother standing on the sidewalk nodded her head. Ali T. Muhammad spoke after the student organizers spoke. Ali is a former Beacon City Council person for Ward 4, and ran for Mayor of Newburgh last year. He pushed for the next steps and asked the rhetorical question of why everyone had gathered and participated, emphasizing that after all this, things must change. He implored people to register to vote, and to show up to vote.

A third speaker described his experience with the police. He described how dangerous it is for him to raise his hands from the steering wheel, reminding the crowd of black people who get shot during traffic stops. “Don’t reach for the keys, don’t reach for anything, except your phone. Turn it on. Turn on your camera, or go live on your Instagram.” His message was of driving in fear - constant fear of being pulled over and how that can end in death.

If you are a white person reading that sentence, and if you think it is exaggerated, simply recall your own story of being pulled over. Think about how it might have funny moments. How you sweated it out while digging through your glove compartment, trying to find your insurance card. Then ask your black or brown or South American friends about their experiences being pulled over, and you will hear very different stories. Stories of them sweating it out as they insist to an officer that they don’t have drugs in the car, as they drive home from a babysitting job and had a break light out.

Beacon’s Chief of Police Responds To ALBB’s Questions About Protest

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Beacon’s Chief of Police, Kevin Junjulas, to hear his reaction to the march. Chief Junjulas was formerly Captain in Beacon, and was promoted to Chief after Beacon’s at the time current Chief, Doug Solomon, had left the Beacon Police force. At that time, according to then Mayor Randy Casale during a City Council meeting, Mayor Casale heard about the departure from a radio report.

Solomon left to join the Newburgh Police Department, a department he had served on prior. He was also Mayor of Monticello, until he resigned from that as well in May 2018 in order to be Newburgh’s Police Chief. On March 27th, 2020, in Newburgh, a fatal shooting of a black man happened, and riots broke out. Organizers of that are unknown. Solomon went on leave shortly after that. In May 2020, Solomon resigned.

After his resignation, Newburgh has an Officer in Charge, Lt. Kevin Lahar. On Tuesday, June 2, 2020, Newburgh held a peaceful protest against police brutality and racism. Officer in Charge Lt. Kevin Lahar took a knee with protesters, shook hands and hugged a protester.

Back to Beacon’s current Chief of Police, Kevin Junjulas, who was promoted into the position with high aclaim by then Mayor Casale, and has been involved with community events when they are organized in order to contribute dialogue. Here are Chief Junjulas’ answers to ALBB’s questions:

ALBB: Was the Beacon Police Department alerted to the march in advance?
”We were aware of the event and were monitoring social media to anticipate crowd size and to try to identify an organizer. We were able to identify the organizer and had conversation with him prior to the event in order to coordinate how best to facilitate a safe protest for all involved.”

ALBB: Some people from the march asked the officers at the intersection at the end of the march who were directing traffic form Main Street to join them. Did any Beacon Police officers join the protesters?
”Obviously patrol officers assigned to the detail are tasked with certain duties to assure the safety of the protestors and the public, it would not have been feasible or appropriate for them to join in. I assigned Lt Figlia and Lt Frost to the detail as the highest ranking detail supervisors.

ALBB: Do you have a statement about the march? About why the people feel the need to have one? And how that makes you feel as the leader of the police force? At today’s march, there were black and white students as well as black and white grandparents and parents with strollers.
”Like all reasonable people, we are outraged by the actions of the officers in the killing of George Floyd and strongly condemn their actions. We also support the first amendment and the right to peacefully protest.”

Beacon’s City Council Responds To Police Brutality and Racial Injustice

“Every time I hear about another black person getting stopped or killed by the police, it’s a trigger for me. It is taking every ounce of courage for me to get through this meeting, and get through this week.”
— Terry Nelson, Beacon City Council Member, Ward 1

Every Monday night, Beacon’s City Council holds a meeting. During the Reports section of tonight’s meeting, when the City Council members bring anything on their minds to the table, council people delivered. On this night, several council members gave comment. Mayor Kyriacou, who was on a scheduled trip on the day, said: “I can speak for the entire council and city when I say that we are shocked at the precipitating death of Mr. Floyd, and fully supportive of peaceful protest. I thank the community for speaking up in the non-violent tradition of Gandhi, King and Mandela, and the Police Chief and department for honoring and protecting our community.“

Dan Aymar-Blair estimated that 450 people attended the march. He thanked the protesters for “putting themselves out there.” Amber Grant encouraged people to register for an upcoming climate event, and then fell into an emotional grip as she acknowledged the pain of everyone now, and proceeded to have trouble speaking. Amber proposed to explore what Beacon can do at the municipal level.

Air Rhodes stood “in solidarity” and shared anger and encouraged people to reach out with what they need help with. Jodi McCredo said she stands with the protestors and would never want to tell someone how to protest, but encouraged social distancing, and to be aware of dissenters and to tell the difference between a protester and someone else,

Terry Nelson, who walked this march, calling it the one bright spot in his month, also had trouble finding his voice as he told the viewers and his fellow council members of the time when he was younger, he was walking at night in NYC with his friends when he was 17 years old, and was “stopped by a member of the NYPD and I had a gun in my face and I was told that I fit the description of a robbery suspect.” He said he is a 55 year old man now, and 38 years later, it resonates with him. “Every time I hear about another black person getting stopped or killed by the police, it’s a trigger for me. It is taking every ounce of courage for me to get through this meeting, and get through this week…We really need allies to be on our side right now. We need each other. We cannot do this alone.”

See A Little Beacon Blog’s interview with Terry here: “Interview With Terry Nelson, City Councilperson Ward 1, About His Police Experience And Emotions During Protests”

EDITORIAL NOTE: A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to Beacon’s Chief of Police, Kevin Junjulas, and Mayor Lee Kyriacou for comment for this article. Replies come in, and this article was updated.

Justice For George Floyd March Against Racist State Violence Happened In Beacon On Saturday

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Photo Credit: Video screenshot, A Little Beacon Blog

Photo Credit: Video screenshot, A Little Beacon Blog

The march began at Pohill Park in Beacon on Main Street at about 3pm, which is across the street from Town Hall and the Police Department, and is the location for most marches and parades. The march was organized by Southern Dutchess Resist!, and mirrored a march in New Paltz also scheduled for Saturday. The march was designed to go from the far west end of Main Street to Rite-Aid, and marchers were directed to turn around at the traffic light.

Marchers walked peacefully and enthusiastically with each other, wearing face masks and carrying signs that read (this is a sampling):

  • “Justice For George”

  • “Stop Killer Cops”

  • “Racism Is Deadly”

  • “It Stops With Cops: Good Cops Don’t Let Bad Cops Kill Defenseless Citizens”

Signs encouraged cars to honk in support, which several did. In this video, a line of cars are stopped at a red traffic light while honking, When the light changed to green, the cars proceed.

The message of the march, according to its Facebook page, is: “We are marching in solidarity with those demanding Justice for George Floyd who was executed by racist police in Minneapolis this past week. We are marching for justice in his case and for all colonized people suffering at the hands of the white supremacist occupation in the United States and across the globe. We are marching for justice, against police brutality and against racism and state violence.“

Immunocompromised people were encouraged not to attend, but to participate from home in other ways.

This march happened on a day when protests, which have been happening in Minneapolis for 6 days so far, have spread to other cities across the United States. Some protests have lead cities to impose curfews, including LA, Denver, Columbus, Cincinnati Minneapolis, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and others. The National Guard has been activated or requested by Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Denver and Kentucky (CNN).

The officer who killed George Floyd has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. His bail has been set at $500,000, according to this CNN article.

The other officers who also kneeled on Mr. Floyd have not been charged. While the police report says that he resisted arrested, camera footage of the incident does not show that, according to the CNN article. CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta contributed this thought: “An officer should have started CPR after one of them told the others he couldn't find a pulse.”

The final message on the organizer’s page for Saturday’s march in Beacon was: “--BE SAFE, BE WELL, BE DECENT of course.”

For those looking to get involved with an activism group, there is the Beacon Activist Collective, which “is a collaborative group formed on the strength of the community concern of citizens of Beacon, around the potential erosion of civil rights, social and environmental justice occurring after the election of” this current president.