A Michigan law enforcement official was among those delivering remarks on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, contrasting a peaceful march in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020 to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson offered brief comments to the Chicago crowd Thursday evening, saying if she were to be elected, Vice President Kamala Harris would be a president who seeks to unify the country rather than divide it. He harkened back to Harris' time as a prosecutor in California, first as District Attorney in San Francisco then as the state's Attorney General.
"As a prosecutor, Kamala Harris protected us by putting violent criminals and sex offenders behind bars. If I was in a courtroom, she's exactly the tough prosecutor that I want to see," Swanson said.
Swanson entered the national spotlight in 2020, when there were widespread protests against racial injustice and police brut a lity after Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer eventually convicted of murder. In Flint Township, Swanson and other deputies joined protesters in marching. He told the convention crowd: "We laid down our riot gear and we embraced the community, and instead of hate, we chose hope."
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He contrasted the unity of that day with what he described as "division, deceit and denigration" on Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of former President Donald Trump attempted to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden's 2020 election win. Swanson, who didn't mention Trump by name, noted, "police officers were attacked that day." The U.S. Department of Justice states approximately 140 law enforcement officers were assaulted during the riots.
Democrats have repeatedly hammered Trump for the insurrection at the Capitol, saying at best Trump did not do enough to prevent the riots, and at worst encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol. Before Biden ended his reelection campaign, Swanson appeared in a campaign ad saying he supported Biden in part because he felt the Jan. 6 riots were a neglect of duty.
The Trump campaign said "The DNC programming continues to lie about Kamala Harris' record," saying Harris was soft on crime as San Francisco's District Attorney in a statement sent shortly after Swanson's remarks.
— Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: At Democratic National Convention, Michigan sheriff hammers Jan. 6 riots at U.S. Capitol
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