NEW ORLEANS -
“Once again, the world has witnessed yet another killing of a Black man at
the hands of police,” said Rep. Richmond. “Without question, Trayford
Pellerin should be alive right now. He had a loving family, support of his
community, and his life mattered. Police have a responsibility to use
non-lethal de-escalation tactics in serious situations. Instead, the Lafayette
police chose fear over coherence and took the life of a man who caused them
no harm whatsoever.
“To make matters
worse, we also just witnessed the shooting of another unarmed Black man,
Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Thankfully he is still alive but is
critically injured after being shot in the back eight times at point blank
range while walking away. After the tragedies of Breonna Taylor, George
Floyd, Trayford Pellerin, and countless others, law enforcement has failed
to live up to its responsibility to always serve and protect. Instead,
these actions caught on camera send a clear message that some police don’t
believe that Black lives matter.
“It is also not
enough to only call for police accountability. The people of Lafayette, as
well as all those across the country, deserve justice and real reform once
and for all. That is why I joined my colleagues in the House to pass the
George Floyd Justice in Policing Act two months ago today. Unfortunately,
more than 60 days later, Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate has
refused to even consider this urgently needed legislation. Without comprehensive
action, we will continue to see these kinds of events occur with
impunity.
“No Black man,
woman, boy, or girl should have to live in fear of police who they have
seen too frequently terrorizing their communities. Video footage of Mr.
Pellerin’s death is horrifying, and I join the Lafayette community in
feeling the despair and rage of seeing one of their own succumb to death in
this way. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this
difficult time.”
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