Cook County Bar Association Condemns Violence in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas
(CHICAGO) -- The Cook County Bar Association (CCBA), the oldest association of African-American judges, elected officials, lawyers, law professors, law students and legal professionals in the nation, expresses its condolences to the families of Alton Sterling (Louisiana), and Philando Castile (Minnesota), two black men shot by police. Sterling was pinned on the ground by two police officers when he was shot and killed, and Castile was shot sitting in his car.
The killings occurred within a day of each other and sparked protests nationwide. Although the protests themselves were peaceful, events in Dallas turned deadly when a lone gunman, who has not been associated with the protests or any group, shot and killed five police officers and wounded seven others. Two civilians were also injured in the shootings. The CCBA mourns the loss of life of the police officers protecting the protesters. After the police were shot in Dallas, the suspected shooter became cornered in a parking garage. After an hours-long standoff police in Dallas used a robot carrying a bomb to kill the alleged gunman.
The police shootings, and the subsequent protests indicate that reforms to the criminal justice system need to be made. In addition, the relationship between communities, in particular, the Black community, and law enforcement must be strengthened. The CCBA is committed to strengthening those relationships.
The Cook County Bar Association is committed to educating our community on navigating the criminal justice system when such issues arise. Moreover, the CCBA is committed to assisting with the overhaul of the problem-plagued criminal justice system, and in particular IPRA, the Chicago agency charged with investigating police officers charged with wrongdoing. We ask all lawyers of conscience to join in the CCBA’s efforts in drafting and achieving passage of needed reforms and in seeking justice for victims, their families, and for the protestors who will not allow the focus to be drained or shifted away from the real issues of systemic injustices in our system.
