National LGBTQ Task Force Disappointed with Acquittal of Police Officers Charged in Murder of Freddie Gray

Washington DC, July 27, 2016 — Baltimore prosecutors have dropped all remaining charges against the six police officers charged with the murder of Freddie Gray. In response, Reverend Rodney McKenzie, Jr., Director of the Academy for Leadership and Action at the National LGBTQ Task Force, released the following statement:

“We are deeply disappointed with the outcome of the Freddie Gray murder trials. We share our condolences with Freddie Gray’s loved ones and the entire Baltimore community. Dishonoring Freddie Gray’s life by denying him justice is an injury to us all and a threat to fairness and equality everywhere.

“Those in our broken criminal justice system who use unjust loopholes and a flawed bureaucracy to stifle justice must be held accountable. There is something seriously wrong when an entire group of people are singled out, scapegoated, and excessively policed simply because of who they are. We cannot allow the ongoing targeting and murdering of black people in the hands of police to continue.

“We must restore faith in our nation’s criminal justice system, and we must work to reform an institution that unfairly and disproportionately criminalizes black people. We urge all to stand with us as we work to advance racial justice.”

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CONTACT:
Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
213-842-7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org