Floyd Mann

Floyd Mann (August 20, 1920 - January 12, 1996) was an American law enforcement official, who served as Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety between 1959 and 1963. He is best known for his interactions with the Freedom Riders who passed through Alabama in May 1961.

Early life Mann was born in Daviston, Tallapoosa County, Alabama, in 1920. After schooling in Davidson and Alexander City, Alabama, Mann joined the United States Army Air Corps, serving as a tail gunner on a B-17, where he flew 27 combat missions including the first daylight raid on Berlin. He received numerous awards including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He married Grace Doss of Fort Worth, Texas, on November 25, 1944.

Career in law enforcement After his military service he served as a security officer at Republic Steel in Gadsden. Afterwards he served as a police officer in Alexander City, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant.

From 1950 until 1958, he served as the chief of police of Opelika, where he assisted with the clean-up of gambling and corruption that had spilled over from Phenix City. During this time he developed a close relationship with John Patterson, who later became attorney general and governor. From 1959 until 1963, he served as director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, appointed by Governor Patterson.

Connor claimed that he had posted no officers at the bus depot because of the holiday; however, it was later discovered that the FBI knew of the planned attack and that the city police stayed away on purpose. Patterson did not apologize, commenting, "When you go somewhere looking for trouble, you usually find it...You just can't guarantee the safety of a fool and that's what these folks are, just fools." When asked about Connor, Mann said: "He was in charge, Bull Connor was in charge of the police department in Birmingham at that point in time. He was police commissioner... his comment was that it was just absolutely ridiculous for those people to be in Alabama doing what they were doing".

L. B. Sullivan, an elected city commissioner whose roles included supervision of the city police, had taken responsibility for the Freedom Riders' safety on the last leg of their escorted trip. Mann had been suspicious of Sullivan's assurances, but he had no authority within the city limits. He stationed highway patrolmen a few blocks away. When Mann arrived on the loading dock a few minutes into the riot, he was forced to act alone amid the chaos. A young black man, William Barbee, was knocked to the pavement, then struck repeatedly with a heavy club, with the mob shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!". Mann intervened by drawing his pistol and ordering the attackers back, threatening to shoot if they did not. Firing warning shots, he intervened on behalf of the Freedom Riders being beaten on the loading platform, and managed to ward off some of the attackers. Mann also saved the life of James Zwerg, who had been beaten badly by the rioters. Two Freedom Riders and a reporter carried Zwerg, who appeared to be dying, to a taxicab. The white driver refused to drive Zwerg to the hospital. A deputy sheriff arrived to read the injunction to Zwerg and the two other Freedom Riders. An African-American taxi driver agreed to take them to a doctor, but the police would not allow Zwerg to go, insisting that he would have to wait until a white ambulance arrived, which was impossible, as Sullivan had arranged for all the white ambulances to be in the repair shop on that day. Mann ordered one of his patrolmen to drive Zwerg to a hospital. He was hospitalized, but survived his injuries. At that point, Mann called for his state troopers whom he had stationed several blocks away, and they restored order at the terminal.