FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Kristia Winter, Communications Director
KWinter@council.nyc.gov, 718-629-2900
BROOKLYN, NY – New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis (D-Brooklyn) issued the following statement after 29-year-old Jacob Blake was shot at close range several times in the back by Kenosha police as he attempted to enter his vehicle occupied by his sons. Although he survived, he is paralyzed from the waist down, and it is unclear whether his current condition is permanent.
“Jacob Blake is fighting for his life because law enforcement officers across the U.S. have not been held accountable for the shootings of Black men and women. Thousands have been killed or injured without consequence, a dangerous precedent that has given law enforcement impunity rather than an indictment for the violence perpetrated against Black and brown people. Families devastated by police brutality and excessive force continue to wait for justice that has been deferred or altogether denied despite the overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing. Every time a Black person in America is shot, it becomes more about politics and less about human lives forever altered by the perpetual cycle of racial injustice. Three boys under the age of 10 witnessed gunshots fired by the police nearly kill their father, a traumatic and preventable incident that will shape their lives. As a community that has been marginalized and disenfranchised for generations, we will not rest until black lives matter in every city, state, and nation. Jacob and his family have a long road towards recovery, and I extend my prayers during this difficult time.
“As a member of the New York City Council and Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus, I have worked alongside my colleagues to pass legislation to reform community policing by increasing transparency and accountability. The work that we started is far from over because it is our responsibility to create laws that protect New Yorkers, provide opportunities, and improves our quality of life.”
New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis represents the 45th Council District, which is comprised of Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park, Flatlands, & Kensington in Brooklyn, NY. She is a member of the committees on Civil Service and Labor; Economic Development; Education; Finance; Housing and Buildings; Youth Services; and Justice System. Council Member Louis is the Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus and Vice Co-Chair of the Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus.