New Haven, CT – Today, the Center for Policing Equity released the following statement on the charges in the killing of Elijah McClain:
The decision by a Colorado grand jury to file indictments against three police officers and two fire rescue paramedics involved in the violent, unprovoked death of 23-year old Elijah McClain is an important step toward upholding accountability in our public safety systems. If we cannot value vulnerable community members in death, we will struggle to value them in life.
Deadly force is too often used as the first resort when dealing with unarmed Black men and women. Public safety must always include accountability – but particularly for vulnerable communities, where the legacy of systemic racism and discrimination continues to destroy our communities and the safety of the people who live in them.
We support the grand jury’s decision to seek accountability for this senseless death, but this is only a first step. Real equitable public safety will only come when members of all our communities are able to live free of fear, and have the same opportunities to grow and thrive that others do.