MPD officers killed a Black man while he slept in his own car. We demand justice.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, MPD Chief Robert Contee, DC Council, Acting US Attorney for DC Channing Phillips, and DC Attorney General Karl Racine
Police violence is gun violence!
Last night, MPD executed a man sleeping in his car.
This was the second person MPD shot in a span of just 9 hours. The unclear and possibly contradictory details given by Chief Contee so far just raise more questions. The officer's body-worn-camera footage might've been helpful, unfortunately Contee says "the officer’s body camera was activated but that part of the shooting is obstructed by the protective shield the officer was holding". We are clear, that is completely unacceptable.
Right now, the people of DC are making our demands known! Sign our petition to demand immediate action and accountability for police violence and murder in our communities from DC leaders!
#StopMPD
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To:
Mayor Muriel Bowser, MPD Chief Robert Contee, DC Council, Acting US Attorney for DC Channing Phillips, and DC Attorney General Karl Racine
From:
[Your Name]
While you were sleeping last night, DC Police killed a man for sleeping in his car. He was unconscious and stopped at a traffic light. Nowhere in Washington, DC or across America should a person be executed by the police, especially for sleeping in their car. This is the second person shot by DC Police within a 9-hour period. It’s shameful that this continues to be allowed in our city.
Cops are not drafted, or heroic “chosen guardians'' of the people. They apply, train, go to work and get a paycheck from the residents of the District. If the job is too difficult, they can just quit. Instead, we’re left with a city full of cops that kill us in our sleep, kill us while riding on our roadways, and kill us while in the home of a loved one. That’s why we’ve demanded the DC Council divest from DC Police and invest in Black and brown communities.
Police violence is gun violence and it’s time we put a stop to it now! Paying DC Police over half a billion dollars to kill us will not keep anyone safe!
As more information comes out, we know that this killing by DC Police is the result of failed public policy to protect DC residents from a violent white supremacist institution, and the endless repression of people barely surviving on our streets. We know what it takes to keep people safe, and it takes putting resources in the hands of marginalized people across DC.
At the very least, the DC Council can fully implement in law the recommendations of the DC Police Reform Commission. A commission they created but have been attempting to find every delay tactic possible to not follow through on the solutions they asked for. It’s appalling!
We, the undersigned DC residents, demand:
Mayor Bowser, and Chief Contee to immediately:
Fire all responding MPD Police officers;
Chief Contee, USAODC Phillips, and Attorney General Karl Racine publicly release all body-worn camera recordings as this is a matter of significant public interest.
DC Council:
Fully implement the DC Police Reform Commission report;
and fully implement all outstanding recommendations from the DC Police Complaints Board.