Gowdy calls for 'national conversation' after George Floyd death, says riots 'ain't gonna accomplish nothing'

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Gowdy on George Floyd death: There would already be an arrest if officer was a civilian

DOJ launches probe into death of George Floyd; Fox News contributor Trey Gowdy reacts.

Former prosecutor and congressman Trey Gowdy, a Fox News contributor, reacted to the death of George Floyd following his arrest by Minneapolis police Thursday by contrasting his treatment with that of South Carolina church shooter Dylann Roof.

“If was a person of color, I would be wondering how Dylann Roof, who killed nine black people in a church in South Carolina [in 2015], can be arrested without incident," Gowdy told “The Story," "but Mr. Floyd, under suspicion of cashing a counterfeit $20 bill can’t even live through the arrest."

“It would do us all well to take a step back and try to see the genesis of this outrage," Gowdy emphasized. "Dylann Roof is arrested without incident after he murders nine black folks at a church in South Carolina and yet this guy can’t even survive an arrest for a counterfeit $20 bill.”

GEORGE FLOYD CASE: TWO MINNEAPOLIS COPS CAUGHT ON TAPE HAVE HISTORY OF CONDUCT COMPLAINTS

Federal and local investigators urged calm in the Twin Cities Thursday following violent demonstrations in response to Floyd's death, but did not announce any charges against the four police officers involved in the case, saying they needed additional time to do their jobs.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman told reporters his office has been flooded with calls and emails asking, "What are you gonna do about the murder of George Floyd?"

"We are going to investigate it as expeditiously, as thoroughly and completely as justice demands," he said. "Sometimes that takes a little time, and we ask people to be patient. We have to do this right."

When pressed why charges hadn't been brought in the case already despite the video evidence, Freeman said that it would be a "violation" of his ethics to discuss charging decisions prematurely.

"That video is graphic and horrific and terrible, and no person should do that," he said. "But my job, in the end, is to prove that he violated criminal statute. And there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge. We need to wade through all of that evidence to come through with a meaningful determination, and we are doing that to the best of our ability."

Freeman, MacDonald and other officials also urged protesters to keep their demonstrations peaceful and avoid harming innocent individuals and businesses.

"We support peaceful demonstration," Freeman said. "Violence hampers our case, it takes valuable police resources away from our investigation, and it also harms innocent people."

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Gowdy also blasted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who made an emotional call for peace in the city Thursday, for allowing officer Derek Chauvin -- who was filmed with his knee on Floyd's neck -- to remain on the force despite being the subject of 10 conduct complaints in his 19 years on the job.

“This is not his first foray into inappropriate conduct," Gowdy said of Chauvin, "so if you love Minneapolis, why are you hiring and retaining cops that have resumes like this cop did?"

Gowdy added that the conduct of the officers seen in the video amounted to "murder 1, 2, or 3" and called for a "national conversation" about the justice system in America.

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"It needs to be raw, it needs to be frank and it needs to be honest because we're not going to survive with a justice system that communities of color do not have confidence in and it has been that way for a long time," he said. "We can't just have this talk after a black man is killed. We got to have a talk the day before somebody is killed. Maybe we can stop the next killing.

"This needs to be an American family conversation. Not people putting torches to Target stores in Minneapolis. That ain't gonna accomplish nothing."