NAACP URGES ASHCROFT TO INVESTIGATE FATAL CINCINNATI SHOOTING

MFUME APPEALS FOR CALM, ENROUTE TO TROUBLED CITY

Kweisi Mfume, President & CEO, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today called on Attorney General John Ashcroft to order a full investigation into the fatal shooting by Cincinnati Police of an unarmed African American man.

 

Mfume said: “In addition to the FBI who are now investigating whether there were any civil rights violations in this death, we call on Mr. Ashcroft to order an investigation of the Cincinnati Police Department by the U.S. Justice Department’s Pattern and Practices Division.  If news reports are correct that this is the 15^th black man killed by Cincinnati police since 1995 and the fourth since November, there are obviously problems with the way this department does business.” 

 

He agreed with Cincinnati leaders who have called for an end to rioting in the wake of the shooting which occurred Saturday.  But he said, “While street violence will not solve the problem which led to this shooting, the NAACP and African American community will never tolerate excessive police force.”

 

Mfume said, “The problem of poorly trained police officers has been festering in our country for too many years,” said Mfume.  “The fact of the matter is, if you are a person of color living in the United States, the police often look at you differently and with a level of suspicion.  They always have, and until something is done to raise the level of accountability, they will continue to do so.”

 

The Cincinnati shooting is further evidence that Congress needs to pass into law the “Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act” endorsed by the NAACP.  “This Act would eliminate the hodgepodge of what is acceptable behavior by law enforcement officials,” said Mfume.  “Presently there are a variety of problems and an overall lack of accountability by too many law enforcement agencies to the community they serve.”

 

In addition to establishing a Federal Task Force on Law Enforcement Oversight and an Immigration Enforcement Review Commission, the legislation also calls for the establishment of national minimum standards for accrediting law enforcement agencies.

 

“Until we change the way in which law enforcement interacts with the communities they serve, problems will continue to exist between citizens and the police,” said Mfume. 

 

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

 

CONTACT: NAACP Office of Communications 410.486.9227

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