A statement from Police Chief Eric Robins
April 20, 2021

Today's murder verdict brings a day of reckoning for all of us. Due process often takes time, but justice was served today. I join the Floyd family in asking for peace and calm.

This case was not about punishing cops. It was a case about punishing a bad cop. A number of police officers testified—including Derek Chauvin's supervisor and coworkers—that this was not policing. It was a shocking abuse of authority. There was no justification for what we saw. It is not part of our training, and it is certainly not part of our ethics or values.

We all looked at the video of George Floyd's murder, and we had conversations with our children about what is right and wrong. I said this a year ago and will repeat it again today—what happened to George Floyd was an unacceptable, vicious act of violence. His death was by any measure of professional policing absolutely unnecessary, avoidable and criminal. I think we can all agree that as a result of this horrific injustice, our nation is enraged and demands meaningful change, and I share this outrage and expectation for justice.

The Sugar Land Police Department has worked hard to partner with our diverse community to establish an environment of respect, safety and equitable treatment for everyone. This is reflected in the policies and procedures we have in place to ensure police fairness and equitable treatment among the citizens we are sworn to protect. It is my commitment that we continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of professional conduct and look for new ways to break down barriers between law enforcement and our minority communities.

I've appreciated the support of our community during the past year and look forward to working together in the future to heal. I believe today provides an opportunity to do just that.