'I would still be working in the schools,' former Minnesota policeman says
Last ex-Minneapolis officer convicted in George Floyd killing learns sentence
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Tou Thao addressed the court before being sentence to 4 years, 9 months behind bars for his role in the killing of George Floyd.
A former Minneapolis police officer is speaking out in a new book after police officers were removed from schools following the 2020 death of George Floyd.
"I say it all the time, even here in my new job: If police officers had not been removed from schools, I would not even have thought for one second about working for the Twins," Charles Adams told the Star Tribune, referring to his new job as director of team security for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball.
"I would still be working in the schools," Adams said. Minneapolis got rid of armed police in schools in 2020.
Charles Adams, a former Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer, is speaking out in his new book after police officers were removed from schools there. (AP/Julio Cortez)
Adams also wrote that his experience as a former police officer in Minneapolis, the site of Floyd's murder by Derek Chauvin in 2020, and ensuing riots that later spread across the country did not convince him that most police officers were racist.
Adams also observed in his memoir, "Twin Cities: My Life as a Black Cop and a Championship Coach," that the officers he knew were "more like a lot of Archie Bunkers" who did not show "outright hatred of other races or cultures so much as an enduring refusal to understand them."
Adams said his hope was for "young Black males in America" to read his book so "inner-city communities can see how things that people don't like can change." He is also a successful high school football coach in the city.
"I really hope people around the world and nation can see how important it is to develop these things in communities: outreach, along with being involved with law enforcement," he said.
DEREK CHAUVIN TO APPEAL GEORGE FLOYD MURDER CONVICTION TO US SUPREME COURT
A vigil for George Floyd, who was murdered by a policeman in Minneapolis, Minn., in 2020. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)
The former cop also spoke out about hiring in the police force, as some departments suffer from recruiting shortages across the country.
"The hiring practices have not gotten better," he said. "It's still who's popular, who you know. We don't have a ton of applicants interested in being in the police department now."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department for comment.
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media
Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History.
Story tips can be sent to
