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Democrat Stacey Abrams argued that there is “legitimacy” to angry riots in Atlanta and claimed police “murdered” a man this weekend “because he was asleep in a drive-through.”
The failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate spoke with ABC’s George Stephanopolous about renewed protests amid the death of Rayshard Brooks, the 27-year-old black man who was shot by Atlanta police after resisting arrest and taking an officer’s taser gun.
(Source: ABC)
Abrams was asked about the incident after a video clip of a statement by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was played during Sunday’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”
“While we have a police force full of men and women who work alongside our communities with honor, respect and dignity, there has been a disconnect with what our expectations are and should be as it relates to interactions with our officers and the communities in which they are entrusted to protect,” the Democrat mayor said during a press conference Saturday after the deadly incident.
Atlanta riots: Wendy’s burns, police chief resigns, FBI releases footage of black man shot by officers https://t.co/siy2SmJcp4 pic.twitter.com/PQZbi4cxvR
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) June 14, 2020
“What a disconnect that is. She mentioned it’s the third time in the last two weeks she’s had to review police video,” Stephanopoulos said, setting up Abrams for her narrative.
“And that is why you saw the reaction from protesters, that is why the virulence of anger remains. Activists are necessarily calling into question what’s actually being done,” she said.
“And what I would say is that there is — there’s a legitimacy to this anger, there’s a legitimacy to this outrage. A man was murdered because he was asleep in a drive-through and we know that this is not an isolated occurrence,” the Democrat vying to be named Joe Biden’s running mate added.
“We also know that a man taking a Taser from a police officer in Pennsylvania resulted in his arrest, but because this person was black, it resulted in his death,” she claimed. “Those are conversations that have to be had, not only through speeches but through the decisions made by budget allocations, and I think that’s the next conversation we have to have in Atlanta.”
Bottoms declared that the shooting was unjustified and fired the officer.
“I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer [who fired the fatal shot],” she said at the press conference.
Civil rights attorney and talk radio host Leo Terrell blasted the decision on Twitter, telling the Democrat mayor to “stop playing politics” and reinstate the officer who “is entitled to due process and the right to defend his conduct.”
#Atlanta Mayor @KeishaBottoms is wrong to fire the police officer in the shooting of #RayshardBrooks. The officer is entitled to due process and the right to defend his conduct. Stop playing politics and Reinstate the officer NOW. @seanhannity @FoxNews @realDonaldTrump
— TheLeoTerrell (@TheLeoTerrell) June 14, 2020
“Let’s be fair to the #police and not rush to judgment,” he wrote in another tweet this weekend, saying the “facts surrounding the death of #RayshardBrooks are different than the facts of #GeorgeFloyd.”
During Sunday’s ABC interview, Abrams contended that what happened to Brooks “was a function of excessive force” by police officers who were either “panicked” or “embarrassed.”
“The Democrats’ nominee, Joe Biden, has said he’s against defunding the police but, of course, is for investing more in social services and other programs,” Stephanopoulos said. “What does defunding the police mean to you and is it necessary?”
(Source: ABC)
“I think we’re being drawn into this false choice idea,” Abrams replied.
“The reality is, we need two things — we need reformation of how police officers do their jobs, how law enforcement does its job, because what happened yesterday to Rayshard Brooks was a function of excessive force,” she continued.
“And the decision that — the fact that they were either embarrassed or, you know, panicked led them to murder a man who they knew only had a Taser in his hand,” she claimed.
“We know that the murder of Breonna Taylor means we have to reform no-knock warrants. We know that in the state of Georgia, we also have to look at the larger judicial issue of the fact that people can use citizen arrest laws to murder men like Ahmaud Arbery in the streets,” Abrams added.
Twitter users slammed the Democrat for her “woke” take on the shooting of Brooks in Atlanta.
Terrible. Just awful Stacey Abrams. You know damn well that Mr. Brooks was NOT murdered for falling asleep in a drive-through.
— ED HAAS (@NewsLibertatem) June 14, 2020
She obviously hasn’t seen the full video.
— lovinglife (@Cindy62361052) June 15, 2020
Passed out drunk, resisting arrest, stealing an officer’s weapon & firing a taser at a cop = ASLEEP in the “woke” world
— Kelly Bonesteel (@BonesteelKelly) June 15, 2020
More lie by omission. While his death was unjustified, he was passed out drunk in a drive through line. That gets anyone a trip to jail and a DUI REGARDLESS of skin color. He made a bad choice fighting the police. That was his choice. It ultimately led to his death.
— Jeff somewhere in America (@UnalienableRgts) June 15, 2020
As usual, Abrams has a firm grip on selective facts.
— Newt’s Law 🦎 (@NewtInMotion) June 15, 2020
This kind of false information fuels the anger and violence against police. People breaking the law now believe that the police will always be at fault in the eyes of the public; it all leads to exactly what happened. The MSM has this blood on their hands.
— monica hirn (@Mo_Hirn) June 15, 2020
Terrible. Just awful Stacey Abrams. You know damn well that Mr. Brooks was NOT murdered for falling asleep in a drive-through.
— ED HAAS (@NewsLibertatem) June 14, 2020
Another case of “you didn’t see what you saw”. Lies.
— Swanzona (@swanzona) June 15, 2020
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