Police brutality and violence against innocent people isn’t exactly a rarity in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. From the senseless beating of a 73-year-old woman with dementia when she became confused outside of a local Walmart to the horrific torture and murder of an unarmed 23-year-old Black man, Elijah McClain, Colorado police departments are no stranger to enacting racist terror and severe brutality on the community.
During the early hours of Sunday, July 17, the Denver Police department added a chapter to that already long and bloody saga. As bars were letting out in downtown Denver, the police opened fire wildly at crowds of people. The officers claimed they were returning fire at a suspect who had brandished a firearm and opened fire himself. There is no evidence that this suspect discharged a firearm.
Five other people were severely wounded and ricocheting bullets and shrapnel grazed dozens of others. Groups of friends went from enjoying a Saturday night out to being victims of a terrorist police attack. The police and their political allies tell us that they “protect and serve” the community. Does this feel like protecting or serving? Do we really think that the individuals wounded and their loved ones feel protected and served by the Denver Police Department?
This pray and spray mentality is all too common in U.S. police departments. The recent carnage in Denver draws disturbing parallels to the recent murder of Jayland Walker earlier this year in Akron, Ohio, and the 2020 murder of Louisville EMS worker, Breonna Taylor. Louisville police officers fired 32 rounds into Taylor’s apartment, many penetrating into her bedroom, where she was asleep. Jayland Walker was shot up to 60 times after 8 Akron police officers fired 90 rounds at him while he was running away from them unarmed. And when actual violence occurs, like in the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a “small army of 376 federal, state, and local law-enforcement officers” sat idle while innocent children were killed.
And now, Denver police fired dozens of rounds wildly into late night crowds exiting bars, nearly killing six people. That doesn’t seem like protecting and serving. All Denver police officers involved in this recent shooting need to be terminated from their positions and charged with attempted murder. Further, the City of Denver must pay reparations to all the individuals who Denver Police injured, directly or indirectly.
Defund the police 100%! Community control now! End racist police terror now!
Breonna Taylor! Jayland Walker! Elijah McClain! Say their names!
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