City Addresses the Protests in the City

 at Monday’s  Florissant Council meeting

    By Carol Arnett

The Florissant City Council met Monday via Zoom and held three public hearings and a tribute to retiring Councilman Gerard Henke, who chose not to run for his council seat in Ward 6. Patrick Mulcahy was sworn in earlier as the councilman for Ward 6.

At the meeting, Mayor Timothy Lowery and several council members addressed the protests that have been happening at the Florissant Police Department after video of a police officer hitting a suspect with his vehicle and chase him down went public. The officer was fired and assault charges were issued last week in St. Charles County where the case was moved from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. No other charges were issued against two other officers at the scene. (see separate story)

“This is a difficult time in our city,” said Lowery. He said that he and the chief of police were working on keeping the protests peaceful. “I want to do what’s best for our city,” Lowery said. “We’re going to get through this and have a good resolution for everyone. I appreciate everyone’s being patient during this very difficult time.”

Councilman Joe Eagan said that he could not condemn all police officers for the actions of a few. He asked all Florissant officers to remember their oath. He also said he was proud of the police department and they had his steadfast support.

Councilman Andrew Harris spoke of the larger problem of racism. He said that he was committing to listen and learn. “Florissant is a racially diverse and beautiful community,”

he said, adding that it was part of the reason he chose to live in Florissant. “We can only continue to grow as a stronger and more helpful community when we listen deeply and stand up for each other in meaningful ways,” Harris said.

Councilman Robert Parson also spoke. “I’ve always been of the opinion that the issue of racism would get better over time because it is the right thing to do. However, as I’ve gotten older, I realized that the issue of racism is much more complex than I ever thought as a child.”

He said he first experienced racism as a child    when the child of a police officer called him the N-word in his first week at a new school and this experience shaped his views for a time. He said he told this story because many black people have experienced similar stories, with many experiencing situations “infinitely worse.”

“I frequently hear other black people tell me that if they have a problem they don’t call the police, because the arrival of the police can make the problem worse,” he said.

“I believe that acknowledgement of the issue is at the forefront of changing things,” he said. “For the first time in my life, I feel like we are at this step.”

“We need to discuss these issues and find some common ground,” Parson continued. “I believe that the majority of police officers are doing the right thing. My opinion of the police has improved over time. However, there is a good portion of black America that is not there yet. All this country should believe that when we say with liberty and justice for all, that this phrase applies to everyone.”

Parson concluded by saying, “I don’t have all the answers, but we all should be comfortable enough with each other to ask the questions.”

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