For Immediate Release:
August 10, 2017
Contact:
Matthew Nocella, 202.724.8105 - mnocella@dccouncil.us
Grosso reacts to U.S. Attorney's decision not to charge MPD officer in Terrence Sterling's death
Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement from Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) on the announcement that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not charge the Metropolitan Police Department officer in the September 2016 death of Terrence Sterling:
“Another African-American life was lost at the hands of a police officer last fall, and Terrence Sterling’s family and community waited nearly a year to learn that no charges would be filed against the man responsible.
“Faith and trust in our law enforcement officers has been tarnished—not just by this incident, but also by others across the country.
“To restore that trust, it is every government officials’ and police officers’ obligation to continue to scrutinize the actions of the Metropolitan Police Department and hold to account those who do not live up to the duty of protecting the communities they serve. I support and applaud the mayor and MPD for requesting the officer’s resignation and committing to a full disciplinary review of the incident.
“I hope these steps will give those who loved Mr. Sterling some sense of justice, though no action that can be taken will return Terrence home.
“We must also commit ourselves to a public health and community-based approach to policing, and more importantly, further utilize non-violent methods to rebuild that necessary trust and improve the safety of our communities for all residents.”
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