British police officer reflects on George Floyd's death

The West Midlands Police released footage on May 25 to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd, in which a black officer, PC Demetrius Washington, says “that could have been me.”

Reflecting on the 2020 incident, Washington says it "burns both ends. From a professional standpoint, you’re screaming at everything that’s gone wrong, everything that you should do better, everything that you’re taught to not be and to not do.

“And then the other end you also feel it personally, as that could have been me, a friend, a brother.”

He said it was positive that “a conversation is now being had in public” about issues relating to race and the police “and from that conversation we’re hoping to be able to improve our relationships with the communities that we serve.”