Contact:
Michelle Boykins, 202-296-2300 x144, mboykins@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Randy Bunnao, 213-241-0227, rbunnao@advancingjustice-la.org
Mariam Hosseini, 415-848-7728, mariamh@advancingjustice-alc.org
Brandon Lee, 773-271-0899 x200, blee@advancingjustice-chicago.org
James Woo, 404-585-8446, jwoo@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Mourns Latest Fatal Shootings and
Calls for DOJ Investigation into Second Shooting
Washington, DC – Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) sends our thoughts and prayers to the families of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, two African American men who were shot and killed during separate tragic encounters with law enforcement this week and whose deaths have again raised significant questions about police use of force. The news of these two black men killed by police officers is outrageous.
With their deaths, more than 500 people have been killed by police in 2016, and as a nation, we must find immediate and effective solutions to address practices of racial profiling and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers. We are facing an epidemic of African American fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters who are dying at the hands of police in this country. It must stop.
As the nation’s leading legal and civil rights voice rooted in Asian American communities, we stand together with communities of color in the fight to end systemic police brutality. As the facts of each case surface, we ask the U.S. Department of Justice to not only investigate the fatal shooting of Mr. Sterling but also to investigate the shooting and death of Mr. Castile.
In addition, we call for state and federal government leaders to act swiftly and decisively to implement policies, procedures, and legislative actions that address racial bias and profiling, police misconduct, and end excessive police use of force.
We need law enforcement to commit to tactics that de-escalate or disarm, not result in more loss of lives in our communities of color. We want to ensure the motto “to serve and protect” rings true for all of our communities.
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Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice – AAJC (Washington, D.C.), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Atlanta, Advancing Justice – Chicago, and Advancing Justice – Los Angeles.