Dear 5849376, Just days ago, a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, racially profiled and fatally shot unarmed, 18-year-old, Michael Brown as he walked to his grandmother's residence with a friend.1 Eye witnesses report that the police officer, who has yet to be identified, fired several shots at Michael as the African-American youth stood in the street with his hands in the air. His family and local community members are calling his death an execution. Racially motivated police violence has no place in law enforcement. That's why we're joining our allies at ColorOfChange.org in calling for a rigorous investigation, prosecution, and dismissal of all officers involved in this tragic police killing. Tell the U.S. Department of Justice and Missouri authorities to investigate the Michael Brown murder and ensure that all police officers involved in shooting the unarmed youth are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and permanently removed from duty. This incident is of such national importance that President Obama addressed the situation, saying that the Department of Justice would be investigating what happened in Ferguson. But we need more than an inquiry -- the attorney general must ensure that the federal government will see that justice is done as local authorities are highly compromised by a history of racial profiling and police overreach. Dorian Johnson, Michael's good friend, experienced the entire police killing from just feet away.2 Detailing the police attack, Dorian reveals the officer's attack from start to finish, with the officer's first words to the teens, "get the f—k on the sidewalk." The officer's aggression escalated, and as Michael stood in the street with his hands in the air, the officer fired the fatal shots. Michael's last words were, "I don't have a gun, stop shooting!" He was set to start college just two days later. Law enforcement officials are working hard to construct a false narrative and make it harder to hold the officers accountable, even refusing to interview the primary eyewitness of the police killing.3 Enough is enough. This tragic police killing is representative of the systemic police abuse affecting African-American communities in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the country. Last year, African-American Missouri residents were 66% more likely to be stopped by police, and more likely to be arrested, even though white residents were more likely to be found with contraband.4 And despite representing just a third of Ferguson's population, African-Americans are 86% of those stopped by police while driving.5 Decades of entrenched police violence and racial profiling policies targeting African-American youth on the basis of dehumanizing stereotypes has now led to the brutal police murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Tell the U.S. Department of Justice and Missouri authorities to investigate the Michael Brown murder and ensure that all police officers involved in shooting the unarmed youth are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and permanently removed from duty. http://act.credoaction.com/sign/mike_brown_justice?t=5&akid=11406.3291973.hVxXSh Thank you for speaking out. Becky Bond, Political Director CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: 1. "Unarmed 18-year-old man shot dead by police in Missouri: witnesses," NY Daily News, 08-10-14 http://act.credoaction.com/go/5734?t=9&akid=11406.3291973.hVxXSh 2. "Eyewitness to Michael Brown shooting recounts his friend's death," MSNBC 08-12-2014 http://act.credoaction.com/go/5735?t=11&akid=11406.3291973.hVxXSh 3. ibid 4. "Michael Brown and disparity of due process," St. Louis Post-Dispatch 08-11-2014 http://act.credoaction.com/go/5736?t=13&akid=11406.3291973.hVxXSh 5. "Black residents in Ferguson, Missouri, are stopped and arrested far more than whites," BuzzFeed, 08-11-14 http://act.credoaction.com/go/5737?t=15&akid=11406.3291973.hVxXSh |