Indianapolis is “Going Blue” in honor of the two New York police officers and one Florida police officer killed over the weekend. Blue light bulbs were first used earlier this year after the deaths of IMPD officers Rod Bradway and Perry Renn, but organizers say with these latest killings, police need more support than ever. Blue ribbons are also being tied to trees around town and on the “Indy Going Blue for IMPD” Facebook page, people are encouraged to post about positive things they’ve seen police officers do.
The NYPD officers were Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32. In Florida, that officer was Charles Kondek who was on-duty in Tarpon Springs, near the Tampa area. The NYPD officers were sitting in their patrol car when alleged suspect Ismaaiyl Brimley approached and shot each of them execution-style in the head. Brimley shot and killed himself nearby shortly thereafter. The Florida officer was responding to a noise complaint when he was killed. Police arrested Marco Antonio Parilla Jr. after a car chase and charged him with first-degree murder. Parilla had been recently released from prison in March.
President Obama has reacted to the NYPD officers killings. He is outraged over the weekend murders and he’s let a leader of a recently-created task force know about it. The White House says Obama expressed his outrage in a phone call to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. Obama recently named Ramsey co-chair of a task force to examine policing practices across the U.S. following a grand jury’s decision not to indict a Ferguson, Missouri police officer in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Obama asked Ramsey to use his task force to further the President’s message condemning violence against police.
Meanwhile as tensions continue to flair over the execution-style killings of NYPD officers Ramon and Liu, the Reverend Al Sharpton is also condemning the shootings. With the families of Eric Garner at his side at the National Action Network Sunday, Sharpton stressed that the head of New York City’s police union blaming Mayor de Blasio for the situation and others playing the blame game will not improve things. Pundits such as Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is laying blame on the Oval Office for what he describes as a growing hatred toward police. He told “Fox News Sunday” President Obama took part in “propaganda” that encouraged people to “hate the police.”
To check out Sharpton’s comment and what response he’d like to see from the faith community, click the media player below:
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