TRACY, Calif. — As protests around the country and close to home take a violent turn, a protest in Tracy took a more peaceful approach.
"We want to see healing. We want to see hope, and so, we felt like for the police officers that were there, they're struggling too. They're the good guys out here in our community... so we wanted to extend our support of them," Shalynn Castellon, a youth pastor for Mission City Church in Tracy said.
As hundreds of protesters took to the intersection of 11th Street and Corral Hollow Road in Tracy, they peacefully called for change and sought justice for the death of George Floyd. Protesters like Castellon and other members of the Mission City Church took time aside to pray with Tracy Police officers.
"It wasn't planned. It wasn't like 'Hey, look at me. Look at what we're doing.' It's really to offer support and encouragement during this time," Castellon said.
Little did they know at the time, one of those officers was Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington.
"When they walked up and prayed with us, my heart was hurting from the beginning of this incident. When Mr. Floyd was murdered, it was tough for me," Chief Millington said.
He says he showed up to the protest cautiously and stayed back to avoid interfering with their message. That changed when some of the protesters approached him.
"I felt like at that very moment, when that prayer was happening, I was sort of accepted into the group. I was asked to participate, and it was my small piece of being part of the protest with them," he said.
City Councilman Dan Arriola was also in the area checking in with police and other city officials for the spontaneous moment.
"The only way we're going to start changes... is by actually having these conversations and sitting down with one another," Arriola said.
It was a refreshing moment away from the chaos that Chief Millington says was much needed.
"To be there, to show solidarity with our citizens, it couldn't have happened at a better moment and I thank them for doing that," Millington said.
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