With the nation still reeling from the deaths of two black men – Philando Castile, who was fatally shot by a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minn., on Wednesday and Alton Sterling who was killed by police in Baton Rouge, La. on Tuesday – a gunman killed five police officers in an “ambush-style” attack during a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas Friday.
The Human Rights Campaign was quick to condemn the shootings of Castile and Sterling with HRC President had Griffin issuing the following statement:
“We are horrified and profoundly saddened by the recent murders of two Black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, at the hands of police in Baton Rouge and near Minneapolis. In less than 48 hours, these two men became the latest victims of an epidemic of brutality that continues to plague our nation, joining a tragic list of 123 Black men fatally shot by police officers in 2016 alone. These men leave behind families, children and friends who struggle to find justice and healing, but are too often met with indifference and inaction by those responsible for protecting them.
“On a Sunday morning less than a month ago, the nation awoke to news of a tragic mass shooting that stole the lives of 49 LGBTQ people and our allies — almost all of them Latinx. That same afternoon, the NAACP stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to speak out against the hate violence that has targeted our inextricably-woven communities. The LGBTQ community is as diverse as the fabric of our nation. We are African Americans, Latinx, women, Christians, Jews and Muslims — and so many more identities — and we must stand together against violence that targets any portion of our community. Today, as we grieve and mourn, we are also united in demanding solutions to stop the tragic epidemic of police-involved deaths.”
24 hours later Griffin issued the following statement following the Dallas attacks:
“We are shocked and sickened by the calculated attack on law enforcement in Dallas last night that has left five officers dead and at least nine other officers and civilians wounded. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who were senselessly murdered protecting a peaceful protest, and to the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Department, and the broader community they nobly served. There is no justification for this cold-blooded assault on law enforcement officers who go to work each day to protect the public. In the aftermath of Orlando, the LGBTQ community saw police officers across the nation work even harder to protect our safe spaces, and we know how dangerous their jobs can be.
“Yesterday, in speaking out against the tragic police-involved murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and so many other men of color, we noted that the LGBTQ community reflects people of all races, backgrounds, and faiths. There are also thousands of LGBTQ law enforcement officers bravely serving our communities in every state from coast to coast.
“In the coming days, we hope we can all come together in a meaningful search for solutions to break the cycle of violence, hate and discrimination that has plagued our country for too long. The innocent people who have lost their lives to senseless shootings, and all those left behind to mourn them, deserve no less.”
