[WAsummit] Fwd: Shot dead in church day care center

[Sharon Martinas]

Hi Folx,
	Here's another opportunity for some collective action.  The NAACP has  
a new program of campaigning for national standards about police use  
of force in the face of so many murder of Black people.  Personally I  
think this is a great new development.  Hope you all sign the petition!
sharon

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Ben Jealous, NAACP" <naacp at mail.democracyinaction.org>
> Date: September 12, 2009 7:40:26 AM PDT
> To: cws at igc.org
> Subject: Shot dead in church day care center
> Reply-To: naacp at mail.democracyinaction.org
>
>
> ACTION ALERT!
>
> Dear Supporter,
>
>
> Police shot and killed Mark Anthony Barmore, a 23-year-old black  
> man, in a church day care center a few weeks ago in Rockford,  
> Illinois.  We have also learned that one officer involved in this  
> killing has been accused of several other questionable police  
> shootings.  As you can imagine, tension is running high in the  
> Rockford community and we are deeply concerned.
>
> I thought you should know what the NAACP is doing about it.
>
> Today I will be leading a delegation of NAACP leaders and staff to  
> launch the NAACP's investigation of this police killing and the  
> police department itself.
>
> In Rockford today, we will address a rally of community leaders and  
> report on NAACP's engagement with the Department of Justice to  
> thoroughly investigate this awful tragedy.
>
> We are also working with Congress to require the establishment of  
> national standards for use of force, and training in use of force,  
> for law enforcement officers. Currently, there are as many use-of- 
> force policies as there are law enforcement agencies in our Nation  
> today, and there are as many interpretations of those policies as  
> there are law enforcement officers.  This lack of uniformity is one  
> of the core reasons behind the tragedy in Rockford and in too many  
> other instances across the Nation.
>
> We thank the Department of Justice for taking this case seriously  
> through the outreach efforts its Community Relations Service. But to  
> help re-establish trust in the community and to ensure that the  
> Rockford police department is operating with integrity, we need a  
> federal investigation into this case.  Please, sign our petition  
> urging the Department of Justice to conduct a full investigation of  
> this shooting and the ongoing use of force by the Rockford police  
> department.
>
> So what actually happened in Rockford? Eyewitnesses say that outside  
> a church day care center, Mr. Barmore encountered two police  
> officers who apparently were looking for him on an allegation of  
> domestic violence.  He ran inside the church, and the officers  
> followed him, guns drawn, without a warrant.  After Mr. Barmore  
> entered a small boiler room, the police demanded he come out.  He  
> slowly exited the room with his hands up.  Then, witnesses say,  
> police shot him -- in front of small children in the day care center.
>
> While he lay face down, witnesses say, police shot him three more  
> times in the back!  Additionally, officers have been using  
> intimidation tactics against witnesses, such as sitting outside  
> their homes and slowly driving by their homes.
>
> We all must act to stop this kind of police abuse, so I need your  
> help now.
>
> Please, sign the petition and help us promote smart and safe law  
> enforcement policies.  I will be keeping you updated on the killing  
> in Rockford and our efforts to investigate it - and prevent future  
> tragedies.
>
> Sincerely,
> Benjamin Todd Jealous
> President and CEO
> NAACP
>
>
>
> ©2009 NAACP, 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215
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>
>

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