Albany, NY – In response to the murder of 20-year-old Daunte Wright by police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Citizen Action of New York Political Director Stanley Fritz, released the following statement:
“So-called routine traffic stops should not result in death, but that is the reality when you are Black in America. Cops are supposed to maintain public safety, but they have become executioners, especially in Black, Brown and low-income communities across the nation and in our own backyards.
“The officers that Daunte Wright encountered on April 11 are not anomalies to the system. Kim Potter, the officer who killed him, is a 26-year veteran and a training officer who should know the difference between a taser and a gun. While Kim has resigned, we hope this results in systemic change not just the usual platitudes.
“Training is not the issue. We need a complete overhaul of policing. Daunte Wright had a right to live and nothing else matters. There is no excuse for what we all saw — the killing of another Black person — on police body camera footage. The New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative initiated by Governor Cuomo and carried out by localities statewide, provided no systematic reform or lessened the likelihood of police in New York inflicting the same violence we are seeing in Minneapolis. The only meaningful change that would reduce police violence is the federal Breathe Act. We urge President Biden to champion this measure to defund the police and create a shared vision of public safety. Our hearts are with Daunte’s loved ones, his community, and everyone who has been hurt by police violence. We will continue to fight to hold police accountable and divest from policing and reinvest in our communities.”