Today, the Center for Policing Equity released the following statement on the shooting of three police officers and a suspect in Joplin, Missouri:
Three officers were shot, with one officer, Cpl. Benjamin Cooper, killed in a tragic encounter in Joplin, Missouri on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, Anthony R. Felix, was also killed in the encounter, while two other officers remain hospitalized.
We send our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Cpl. Cooper and Anthony Felix, and send strength to the surviving officers. Our thoughts are also with Joplin, Missouri, as that community heals and recovers. CPE condemns any violence, isolated or systemic. We are committed to redesigning a public safety system that builds safer, healthier communities for everyone, from marginalized communities to law enforcement, so that these senseless incidents no longer happen.
We will continue to be steadfast in our partnerships with community activists, reform-minded law enforcement leaders, and elected officials to find effective ways of keeping all communities safe, equitable, and flourishing.