CAIR Demands Accountability for Police Shooting of Unarmed Black Ninth-Grader in Texas

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2017 Jordan Edwards, 15, was leaving a party over the weekend when he was fatally shot by police, who initially claimed that Edwards and his companions had backed down the driveway "in an aggressive manner" towards them. An Edwards' family representative said the car was fired on without provocation and police now say the car carrying Edwards was driving away from them when they shot into it.

SEE: Police Chief Admits to Getting Key Detail Wrong in Fatal Shooting of Black Teen in Texas
http://time.com/4763224/texas-police-shooting-black-teen-jordan-edwards/

In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

"There must be a thorough and independent investigation of this tragic incident so that the facts come to light in a transparent manner and to ensure that all those responsible for the death of Jordan Edwards are held accountable for their actions.

"There have been too many such police-involved shootings nationwide resulting in the deaths of African-American men and boys. This issue must be addressed by law enforcement agencies and by our nation's leaders and policy-makers."

"We will work with our partners in the civil rights community to seek justice and accountability for this deadly police shooting," said Iyad Alnachef, executive director of CAIR's Dallas/Fort Worth chapter (CAIR-DFW).

CAIR has called for similar investigations of other incidents nationwide involving allegations of disparate treatment of African-Americans by law enforcement authorities.

In September of last year, CAIR demanded an independent investigation after a Charlotte, N.C., police officer fatally shot an African-American man while serving a warrant for a different person.

CAIR's Oklahoma chapter also called on state officials to ensure a "fair and transparent" investigation into the 2016 police shooting death of Terence Crutcher, and welcomed the U.S. Dept. of Justice investigation into the shooting. Crutcher, an unarmed 40-year-old father of three, was fatally shot by a Tulsa Police officer after his vehicle broke down on a two-lane highway in North Tulsa.

SEE: CAIR-OK Seeks 'Fair and Transparent' Probe of Police Shooting Death of Terence Crutcher
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/13778-cair-ok-seeks-fair-and-transparent-probe-of-police-shooting-death-of-terence-crutcher.html

CAIR's Minnesota chapter joined the Minneapolis NAACP in calling for an independent investigation of an incident in which an African-American man was arrested for walking in the street because a sidewalk was under construction.

SEE: CAIR-MN Calls for Probe of 'Walking While Black' Incident in Minnesota
https://www.cairmn.com/57-internships/380-cair-mn-calls-for-probe-of-walking-while-black-incident-in-minnesota.html

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html   

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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CONTACT: CAIR-DFW Civil Rights Director Nikiya Natale, Esq., 469-554-0786, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Related Links

http://www.cair.com