Former Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo recalled the night that changed the course of his life and career. A late-night call from a community activist urged him to watch a video circulating on social media—one that showed Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes as the Black man pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”
“It was absolutely gut-wrenching,” Arradondo recalled in a recent interview ahead of the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death. What he saw on video clashed with early reports from within his department, and he immediately realized the encounter would have profound consequences for Minneapolis and the world.
“I served for 32 years,” said Arradondo, the city’s first Black police chief. “But there’s no doubt May 25th, 2020, is a defining moment for me in my public service career.”
Floyd’s murder outside a convenience store triggered global outrage, mass protests, and demands for police reform. Arradondo made the controversial decision, alongside Mayor Jacob Frey, to let the Third Precinct burn during the unrest, citing a lack of resources to defend it safely. Today, much of the Lake Street area still bears visible scars—charred buildings, empty lots, and boarded-up storefronts.
During Chauvin’s 2021 trial, Arradondo took the rare step of testifying against one of his own officers, breaking the so-called “blue wall of silence.” He later retired in 2022 but continues to reflect on what more he could have done.
“I would have pushed harder and sooner to dismantle the toxic culture,” he said. “And I would have elevated community voices long ignored.”
Arradondo’s new book, Chief Rondo: Securing Justice for the Murder of George Floyd, closes with a heartfelt apology to Floyd’s daughter, Gianna:
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for your father being taken from you.”
(With inputs from The Associated Press)