Police used mugshots of black men for target practice. Clergy responded: #UseMeInstead

[n2doc]

The idea originated on a closed Facebook group for Lutheran clergy, where pastors were discussing how North Miami Beach’s police department had been caught using mugshots of actual people for target practice. Let’s send in our own photos for target practice, the pastors decided.

The target-practice story had come to light after National Guard Sgt. Valerie Deant saw bullet-riddled mugshots of black men at a police gun range. One photo was of Deant’s brother. Outrage followed in North Miami Beach and beyond as critics called for the police chief’s resignation.

Family outraged after North Miami Beach Police use criminal photos as #HumanTargets. VIDEO: http://t.co/0hzALWdpdW pic.twitter.com/zJ7HFGntNB

— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) January 15, 2015

The chief defended the department but denied racial profiling and said officers used images of people of all races. The city council banned the practice.

Rev. Joy M. Gonnerman and other pastors chatted about the story on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Facebook group and discussed how to respond to something that was emblematic of a deeper, systematic problem.

more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/25/florida-police-used-mugshots-of-black-men-for-target-practice-clergy-responded-usemeinstead/

[libdem4life]

1. This is "What Jesus Would Do". Replacing the evil with good to overflowing. Can hardly

imagine the feelings of the parents of the teens before...and after. I also suspect that it won't happen any more...at least in that town.