Shoot ’em?
Teana Walsh, an assistant Wayne County prosecutor posted this on her Facebook page after watching images of protesters and rioters in Baltimore following the homicide of Freddie Gray:
So I am watching the news in Baltimore and see large swarms of people throwing bricks, etc at police who are fleeing from their assaults … 15 in the hospital already. Solution. Simple. Shoot em. Period. End of discussion. I don’t care what causes the protestors to turn violent…what the “they did it because” reason is…no way is this acceptable. Flipping disgusting.
She has since removed the offensive and incendiary post but you can see a screenshot of it HERE.
Considering her position as a prosecutor, Walsh’s judgment is now seriously in question. One wonders what her opinion is of mostly white, mostly well-off college students burning couches on campus at MSU or other colleges.
Progress Michigan’s Lonnie Scott issued this statement:
These remarks are particularly dangerous and irresponsible in light of protests taking place right now in Detroit in the wake of yet another shooting death of a young black man by law enforcement. Kym Worthy must conduct a thorough review of Walsh’s conduct as a prosecutor and should lead a discussion on the issues of police violence in Detroit. For an assistant county prosecutor to call for the summary execution of disenfranchised and angered citizens shows she has little regard for justice or due process.
It’s bad enough to have law enforcement officers overreacting with unnecessary violence against suspects, many of whom are unarmed. But to have prosecutors acting as judge and jury and suggesting summary execution of protestors before they have had a chance to exercise their right to due process is beyond offensive, even in the case of rioting. It is, as Scott said, dangerous. Dont’ forget that we have a case of police violence resulting in a death right here in Wayne County ourselves.
It’s worth noting that the cops who killed Freddie Gray have now been charged with homicide and a number of other charges.
UPDATE: Walsh has resigned.
[CC photo credit: Jamelle Bouie | Wikimedia Commons]
