Off-duty Wisconsin police officer reenacts George Floyd’s murder in a Minnesota classroom, according to students

A western Wisconsin police officer was placed on administrative leave after Minnesota school officials said he reenacted the murder of George Floyd in a high school classroom.

Steve Williams has been serving as a Prescott patrol officer for two years, according to a statement from city officials, but was serving as substitute teacher at Woodbury High School earlier this week when students began to speak out.

According to a letter from school officials published in full by Minnesota Public Radio, Williams was a substitute for 10th and 12th grade English classes, when he put a student on the ground in front of the class to reenact Floyd’s murder.

The fatal police killing of Floyd in May 2020, when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the unarmed Black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes, led to nationwide protests. Some lawmakers also crafted legislation to address policing in America, although no federal legislation has become law.

The coroner ruled that Floyd’s death was a homicide due to “cardiopulmonary arrest” from “law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression,” according to an autopsy report.

Williams told the Woodbury teenagers that “police brutality isn’t real,” according to the letter.

He is accused of twisting a student’s arm behind the student’s back and showing pressure points on the chin and face.

Williams repeatedly made racially harmful comments and sexist jokes, the letter said. He also mimicked holding a gun and pointing it at students while sharing disturbing details about previous police investigations, according to the letter.

Williams said “cops would be the best criminals” and that “they know how to get away with stuff,” the letter reads.

School officials did not identify Williams in the Monday letter but said he will not be allowed to fill any vacancies in the district. The City of Prescott released a statement on Wednesday identifying Williams as one of its officers, who was not on-duty at the time of allegations, and announced he was placed on leave.

“The City of Prescott and the Prescott Police Department find the current allegations, if true, made against Mr. Williams to be very disturbing, reprehensible, and we in no way condone his actions,” the statement said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin officer reenacts George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota class