The President of the Louisville Fraternal Order of Police drew attention from activists and other citizens by publishing?an open letter threatening to “hunt down” anyone police view as criminals and those who protest the use of deadly force by police.
The letter, which can be viewed in full here, stated that:
“No matter how weak our criminal justice system, we will hunt you down again and again until they put you away or you go away” because in?”predominantly minority areas of cities, like Louisville,” police officers “are suffering.”
He goes a great deal further, however,?blaming protesters who call for police accountability in the use of deadly force for the:
“[…] destruction in Ferguson and other cities around our country and we won’t be tolerating that here” and “if you refuse to comply…expect to be met with force.”
Although Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad and Mayor Greg Fischer have denounced these sentiments, Mutchler has refused to back down. Is there any way to interpret these statements other than a threat?
Kentucky’s ACLU responded to Mutchler’s letter by issuing the following statement:
“Community members have both a constitutional right and a responsibility to question authority. They have a right to understand the policies employed by police, the parameters for deciding when deadly force is appropriate, and the training received on de-escalation techniques. It is unjust to equate the upholding of these rights as ‘anti-law enforcement’ or ‘race baiting.’
Yet for decades we have seen the ways in which our system disproportionately impacts communities of color. For example, African-Americans are regularly subjected to lengthier and harsher sentences as compared to their white counter parts, in spite of similar offenses being committed. Furthermore, the entire country has recently been witness to acts that once went unseen; terrible and tragic violence against people of color at the hands of white people, including white law enforcement officers.
Police have among the most challenging and dangerous jobs. While most law enforcement officers carry out their jobs admirably and with great respect for the communities they serve, we cannot ignore the systematic use of excessive force employed by some police officers and a police culture that defends it. We need an end to the prevailing us vs. them policing paradigm, where the police are perceived as occupying forces who cast a broad blanket of suspicion over entire communities under the guise of controlling crime.”
Do not stand idly by while your civil liberties and right to protest is ignored. We do have a responsibility to question public servants, particularly those charged with “serving and protecting” citizens. When citizens of this country are shot, beaten, or killed by police, we all?have a right to know the truth and why it happened. Any attempt by officials like Mutchler to silence us into compliance with police overreach and police brutality is a violation of our Constitutional rights.
A protest is planned in front of the Louisville Metro Police Department on Monday, June 21 at 12:00 PM. For those of you in other cities or simply unable to attend, a petition to Greg Fischer, mayor of Louisville, to fire Mutchler can be found here.
