Holding bad officers accountable is the only way to reform policing. And officers are going to have to lead the way.

No matter the outcome of this trial, this in itself is a powerful indicator of a few things: By showing the world on national television that cops are willing to call out other cops when they see misconduct, it shows that things can, in fact, change. It also reinforces the necessity of seeing progress inside police department culture itself — not solely by forces of external pressure, even if it’s a result of it.

As a former New Jersey sergeant, DeLacy Davis, told NBC News, a senior police official choosing to call out an officer instead of holding allegiance to the force could be the tipping point in this country’s long battle with police brutality that we so desperately need.

The challenge, of course, is to translate this accountability beyond the case of Floyd so that we don't keep finding ourselves here, fighting for justice in the death of another unarmed Black man who never should have died at the hands of an institution sworn to protect and serve.