U.S. outrage grows stronger over lack of police accountability
Baku, December 5 AZERTAC
American outrage over lack of police accountability in deadly encounters with black civilians gained new national momentum Thursday, as politicians of all stripes began joining the chorus for reform.
With fresh demonstrations gripping major U.S. cities over Wednesday’s grand jury decision not to indict a New York cop in the lethal chokehold takedown of an unarmed man accused of selling black-market cigarettes was emerging as a political turning point in Washington.
Two of the most prominent aspirants to replace President Barack Obama in 2016 — Hillary Clinton and Rand Paul — spoke loudest, each expressing shock at the absence of criminal consequence in the videotaped death of Eric Garner of Staten Island in July.
“We have allowed our criminal justice system to get off balance,” Clinton, told reporters, as she endorsed federal reviews of police-involved death of black men in both Ferguson, Mo., and New York City.
“And I personally hope that these tragedies give us an opportunity to come together as a nation to find our balance again.”
Paul, the Republican senator from Kentucky, said he would “welcome Hillary Clinton” in a drive for legislative reform. Paul said he was “horrified” by the videotaped death of Garner, and despite the absence of a criminal indictment he called the NYPD to fire officer Daniel Pantaleo to signal the chokehold is “unacceptable for a policeman and we can’t have this kind of individual on the force.”
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