Prosecutor ‘joked’ she hoped ‘deadly coronavirus strain’ spread through George Floyd riots
Mississippi prosecutor Pamela Hancock has come under fire for her remarks about ongoing unrest sweeping the United States
A prosecutor has come under fire after hitting out at George Floyd protesters by writing: ‘We can only hope the deadly (coronavirus) strain spreads in riots!’ Pamela Hancock, the prosecutor for Hancock County in Mississippi, wrote the reply under a friend’s Facebook post about the ongoing unrest across the United States.
The original post she replied to said: ‘Does Covid spread during massive street riots or just in bars and restaurants? Asking for a friend.’ Hancock has since defended her comments, insisting that she supports peaceful protests, and that the virus remark was just a joke.
She told Mississippi Today: ‘I was really just making light of it. I was not serious about wanting anyone to die. That’s not who I am. The post was kind of a joke, and I was attempting to joke back.
‘Obviously, I did it very poorly. If you ask anybody that knows me, I don’t hold any ill will towards anyone or any group. I only try to be fair.’
Hancock, who has since deleted the offending remark, added: ‘My job is to prosecute all crimes, including civil disobedience. I’m against any breach of peace or criminal activity, and I would prosecute it. I have nothing against people peacefully protesting, but breaking into businesses and stealing things is a crime.’
But the prosecutor, who was elected to her post in 2015 and 2019, was condemned by anti-racism group the Southern Poverty Law Center. Spokesman Brandon Jones said: ‘You’d hope in moments like this that people throughout the law enforcement community and certainly prosecutors would be reflective about how we talk about these issues.
‘Because she’s an elected official, it’s an office of public trust. Frankly, (her post) sends all the wrong messages.’
Jones said the post also raised concerns about Hancock’s fairness as a prosecutor, but she was quick to refute those allegations. Hancock said: ‘When I prosecute, I don’t look at someone’s color. I look at the crime they committed, the facts of the case… I only try to be fair.’
The United States has seen mass protests since unarmed black security guard George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police Department cop Derek Chauvin on May 25. Floyd was filmed crying ‘I can’t breathe’ as Chauvin knelt on his neck after arresting Floyd, 46, over claims he’d tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery store.
Floyd’s plea for air has since become a rallying cry for racial equality and anti-police brutality protesters across the United States.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk
For more stories like this, check our news page