OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE ETHICAL SOCIETY OF POLICE

Outraged is the only word to describe this senseless and unwarranted killing of another black man, Jayland Walker. The penalty for a traffic violation is once again death!

Enough is enough! The senseless killing of black men needs to stop and the excuse of “I felt threatened,” needs to no longer be acceptable. Officers who do the job right need to stand up and speak out against the unwarranted killing of black people. Those whose skin color is different are people, not animals, thugs or any other derogatory name used to describe someone of a different minority or race.

We are tired of the excuses, lies and cover ups. The numerous body-worn camera videos show very poor policing. Video from 13 different angles showed no officer was in immediate danger.

Their tactics were poor. A subject being pursued on foot followed by multiple police officers means there are multiple ways to apprehend. There is no justification for 60+ rounds being fired at a subject who is surrounded by multiple officers, and the only crime he was guilty of was a minor traffic violation.

We as the Ethical Society of Police are outraged and angry. We are calling for justice for Jayland Walker.

ABOUT THE ETHICAL SOCIETY OF POLICE
The Ethical Society of Police (ESOP) is a national voice for equality in policing, presenting their perspective as both black and “blue.” ESOP is an association of police officers, park rangers, and civilians that advocates for racial and gender equity in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department. ESOP was founded in 1972 to address racial biases within law enforcement. ESOP also works to improve community/police relations, develop policies and programs to reduce crime, elevate the status of minority civilians and police officers, encourage greater minority employment by law enforcement agencies, and increase professionalism in law enforcement. Membership is open to all races and includes more than 370 law enforcement professionals employed by the City and County of St. Louis. ESOP membership is approximately 97% African American, but membership is open to all races, religions and sexual orientations. For details, email [email protected] or visit www.esopstl.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Brown
[email protected]
(O) 314-266-7035