This week, some are honoring George Floyd, the 46-year-old violent career criminal and perennial drug thug who died while being arrested and detained by police in the Democrat Party protectorate of Minneapolis. He is still being painted as a hero in the fight for Black lives. He became the poster child for the “systemic racism” lie.

But instead of celebrating a man whose choices led to his own death, I want to focus on Derek Chauvin, a police officer who dedicated his life to protecting his community. It’s time some of us acknowledge the truth that officers like Chauvin put their lives on the line every day, navigating dangerous situations that most of us will never understand.

On the day in question, Chauvin responded to a call involving a suspect who was resisting arrest, ingesting drugs and clearly in a troubled state. The man was afraid of being placed in the patrol car citing claustrophobia and resisted. Chauvin followed training and standard procedures placing him on the ground in a legal hold to keep everyone safe; himself, the suspect and bystanders. It was a tense volatile moment on a busy street with oncoming traffic nearby. These officers are faced with split second decisions in chaos.

Notably, the ranking officer on the scene that day was a black female.

Floyd’s overdose was tragic but it wasn’t the Chauvin’s fault. It was a result of years of drug abuse, a crisis many of us know too well. The fact that Chauvin was charged and convicted of murder despite the circumstances has many questioning the fairness of the justice system. But what we should remember is the courage of officers like him who serve and protect Americans day in and day out often under the most difficult conditions and circumstances.

Our publisher Mark Alexander, who was a uniformed officer early in his career and understands more than most of us the challenges and threats, has written several times in defense of Chauvin. He has argued that Chauvin’s actions may have been a negligent contributing factor in Floyd’s death, but it was certainly unintentional. He insists that “Chauvin was railroaded and should also be high on Trump’s list of pardons,” as our analyst Douglas Andrews argued in more detail.

Let’s be honest, law enforcement officers face perilous dangers every day, and their job is often incredibly demanding. Instead of tearing them down, we should be advocating for real solutions and effective community actions to address crime, gangs and drug addiction, and stop demonizing cops every time some thug resists arrest.

This isn’t about ignoring mistakes, it’s about recognizing the complexity of these situations. Our focus should be on justice that’s fair, on accountability that’s balanced, and on respecting those who risk everything to keep us safe.