The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) condemns the actions of a lone gunman who opened fire on law enforcement officers as they responded to a call for service in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The gunman killed three officers and wounded three. This appalling act of violence took place on the heels of another gunman’s killing of police officers in Dallas, Texas following a peaceful protest and the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police officers in Baton Rouge and St. Paul, Minnesota.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of the fallen officers in Baton Rouge and wish the wounded officers a speedy and full recovery,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of LDF. “The past several weeks have been difficult for the nation as we endure the needless killings of residents and police officers who serve them. Violence against innocent civilians and law enforcement must end.”
While we do not yet know the motives behind this latest shooting, we know that these acts of violence do not represent those who have peacefully participated in protests in Baton Rouge and other cities over the past two weeks to denounce police-involved violence in their communities.
“Even as we lament the numerous lives lost in Louisiana, Texas, and Minnesota over the past two weeks, we remain committed to advancing solutions that will lead to necessary reforms in policing that will improve public safety and build constructive relationships between law enforcement and communities of color,” Ifill said.
###
Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
