Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Jeremy Beck says George Floyd's death "should never have happened," and he hopes the officers charged in his death are swiftly brought to justice.

"I don't want any bad cop out there giving all the rest of us a bad name," said Beck. "I want to ensure the community that the Wyoming Highway Patrol will do our part to ensure that that doesn't happen here in Wyoming."

Prosecutors on Wednesday filed a new second-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, the now-former Minneapolis police officer who was caught on video pressing his knee to Floyd's neck, and charged the other three officers at the scene with aiding and abetting murder.

"It infuriates me when I watch the video," said Beck. "With that being said, there's a proper way to protest and demonstrate, and rioting, setting buildings on fire, violence is not the proper way."

"We definitely want people to exercise their freedom of speech, but not let it turn violent," he added.

Beck says he understands people's anger and frustration, but he's hopeful it will serve as a catalyst for "better community policing."

"I don't want officers hurt. I don't want the public hurt," said Beck. "I want folks to be able to sit down and be able to communicate with each other and come up with a way that we don't have to deal with this again."

​​

More From KGAB