By Harlan “Hucky” Austin

When we sat down for our interview, one of the first things Medaria “Rondo” Arradondo reminded me of had nothing to do with his historic role as Minneapolis’s first Black police chief. Instead, it was a story that made us laugh—how I once tried to recruit him to go on the road with Prince.

Back in the day, I was head of security for the Purple One, and I knew Rondo would’ve been a perfect fit. He was seriously considering it—until the word contract came up. And if you know Prince, you know contracts were… not exactly part of the deal. That moment became a hilarious footnote in our friendship, but it also reminded me of something deeper: Rondo has always valued structure, integrity, and accountability—even when it wasn’t convenient.

That’s why, five years after the murder of George Floyd, our conversation hit different.

As childhood friends raised in South Minneapolis, we both carry the weight of what happened in our hometown on May 25, 2020. The video of Floyd’s murder shocked the world, and the city erupted with pain, outrage, and eventually, a reckoning. But while many of us watched from the outside, Rondo was inside the storm, wearing the badge, leading the department, and standing at the crossroads of history.

Regardless of where you sit politically or emotionally on what happened with George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, or the police as an institution, it’s hard to deny that Medaria faced impossible decisions as Chief. He had to navigate a department under national scrutiny, dismantle a culture of silence, and pursue justice from within a system not built for it. And he did it knowing full well that his actions would cost him support from both sides.

In our interview, now streaming on The Electric Vibe podcast (with my co-hosts Kurt Hoffman and J David Silva), Rondo opens up about the weight of those decisions. He reflects on what it meant to be a Black man in uniform during one of the most painful chapters in American history—and what it took to draw a line not between Black and Blue, but between right and wrong.

If you haven’t yet, I strongly encourage you to read his new book:
“Chief Rondo: Securing Justice for the Murder of George Floyd.”
It’s a deeply personal and sobering account of leadership under fire and offers rare insights into what real accountability looks like from someone who put it into practice.

As we reflect on the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, I hope this conversation—and this article—remind people that leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about courage, conviction, and yes, sometimes, about saying no to Prince when you know a contract matters more than a tour.

👉 Watch the full interview here:

🎙️ Listen to the full podcast on The Electric Vibe with Harlan Austin, Kurt Hoffman & J David Silva

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