Over the weekend, a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota shot and killed an unarmed Black man named Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, with local authorities now claiming that the officer’s shot was a mistake. Apparently, they meant to use their taser, the authorities’ story says. Now, as outrage grows over this violence, former President Barack Obama has chimed in on Twitter with a message of grief and action.
Obama poignantly commented as follows:
‘Our hearts are heavy over yet another shooting of a Black man, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police. The fact that this could happen even as the city of Minneapolis is going through the trial of Derek Chauvin and reliving the heart-wrenching murder of George Floyd indicates not just how important it is to conduct a full and transparent investigation, but also just how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this country.’
The former president added that he and former First Lady Michelle Obama “grieve alongside the Wright family for their loss” and “empathize with the pain that Black mothers, fathers, and children are feeling after yet another senseless tragedy.” He added as follows:
‘[We] will continue to work with all fair-minded Americans to confront historical inequities and bring about nationwide changes that are so long overdue.’
Obama also shared a webpage affiliated with the Obama Foundation where Americans can find resources regarding the crisis of police violence. Check out his remarks below:
You can find resources and ways to help here: https://t.co/2KcB4T3b0I
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 13, 2021
Meanwhile, current President Joe Biden has begun work to address the somewhat connected problem of general gun violence. Recently, Biden formally rolled out a slew of plans, including the imminent release of a proposed rule from the Justice Department to “help stop the proliferation” of so-called ghost guns, as the White House put it. Ghost guns are firearms without serial numbers that are assembled from kits. According to the White House announcement, the Justice Department will also imminently be releasing example legislation for states seeking to institute “red flag” laws allowing authorities to temporarily block the access of firearms by people whose behavior potentially poses a threat.
