Read the PDF of our statement here.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund Statement on the Shooting of NYPD Officer Familia
Last night, New York City Police Officer Miosotis Familia was shot and killed while sitting in a police vehicle at the end of her holiday weekend shift. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) extends our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
“Our hearts ache every time an individual is indiscriminately shot down, officer and civilian alike,” said LDF Associate Director-Counsel Janai Nelson. “We, along with so many New Yorkers, are horrified by this unprovoked attack. While shootings targeting law enforcement remain exceptionally rare, they are piercingly painful when they occur.”
“With the many verdicts in police-involved shooting cases and the continued loss of life we’ve seen in recent weeks, it’s been difficult not to feel increasingly dejected by the state of police-community relations throughout the United States,” Ms. Nelson added. “However, no matter how formidable the challenge, we remain deeply committed to furthering strategies and policies that will improve public safety and improve the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color.”
LDF has been deeply involved in policing reform efforts in New York City aimed at ending racially-biased policing and building trust between the NYPD and the five boroughs they serve, including the landmark settlement in Davis v. New York, challenging the NYPD’s practice of stopping and arresting New York City public housing residents and guests for purported trespass in public housing residences.
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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.
