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Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys Co-Chairs Davis and Norton Statement on the Shooting of Alton Sterling

July 7, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys, today called for policing reform after another police shooting and death of an African American man.

“This horrible incident is another example of a law enforcement official acting as an executioner,” said Davis. “It represents the worst of what a police officer should be.”

“The death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is yet another example of a breakdown in policing in the United States,” Norton said. “Without prejudging the facts, we do not accept shootings as the solution to confrontations between residents and law enforcement. Properly-trained police officers and community policing that builds relationships between communities and the police work. When shootings do occur, police officers involved in the shootings, particularly those resulting in death, must not be above the law.”

The Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys seeks to bring matters affecting African American men and boys to the forefront of congressional and public attention to address the myriad of issues facing this group.