NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Explaining he wanted to have an "honest" conversation about policing and the ongoing demonstrations against police brutality, Newport News police chief Steve Drew hosted a "special edition" community meeting on Facebook Live on Tuesday.
It started with an apology
“Apologizing for any negative interaction that you may have had with police,” Drew said. “I am sorry for what happened in Minneapolis. I could not believe what I saw.”
His comments came as part of his "Chat with the Chief" meetings which he holds monthly as a way to connect with the community. But this time, he wanted the chat to focus on the unrest felt across the nation.
“This is a great, noble profession; we get to help people every single day. But there are those that take advantage of it," Drew said. “In any profession, there are bad apples. Those who do wrong and have the wrong intent.”
Nearly 200 people joined in at noon to listen to Drew and ask questions. Among the topics he discussed: choke-holds and use of force by police.
Drew said choke-holds are not something Newport News police officers do and it’s something he said he personally does not agree with.
“I’m not a medical doctor but from what I’ve seen and read and listened to, the risk to the neck and arteries – it’s one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body,” Drew said.
He said his officers in Newport News go through months of training on how to make an arrest safely, and the use of force is never the first choice.
“For me, first thing in our use of force is de-escalation – our appearance, how we interact with someone, how we talk. I think communication starts the very first tone in how that interaction is going to go,” he said.
“Once they’re in handcuffs, in our custody, we’re responsible. Anyone talks about shortness of breath, 'I can’t breathe, my legs hurt, my hip hurts, I have a pre-existing injury' officers didn’t know about before they made the arrest, we’re going to get medical attention.”
Drew held another meeting at 6 p.m.