For Immediate Release: November 18, 2015

Contact: Michele Setteducato, 732-614-3818, michele@fitzgibbonmedia.com

Scott Roberts, Criminal Justice Campaign Director of ColorOfChange, issued the following statement:

“In just 48 hours, 65,000 ColorOfChange have urged Minneapolis Police Chief Harteau and Mayor Hodges to release all video relating to the police shooting of Jamar Clark. Various eye-witnesses say that police shot Mr. Clark in the head “execution style” while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground. It’s horrific, and just as concerning has been the willingness of local officials to hide key information from Jamar’s family and the public.

“Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of any effective police department. Time and time again, we’ve seen what happens when local officials are able to keep this type of key evidence from family members and the public. The longer videos are kept secret the easier it is for police to edit the footage or alter their stories to fit what’s caught on camera instead of what actually happened. Although local officials have asked the Department of Justice to investigate the case, the investigation will likely take months to complete. We need answers now.”

“The reality is, Jamar’s killing has hit a nerve for thousands of Black youth in Minneapolis, where police are 5.8 times more likely to stop and arrest Black teens than white youth for low level issues, such as “curfew violations.” Instead of arresting courageous youth organizers, Mayor Hodges and Chief Harteau should be doing everything in their power to end the culture of secrecy and impunity that drives anti-Black policing, starting with calling for the release of these videos.”

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With more than 1 million members, ColorOfChange is the country’s largest online civil rights organization country’s largest online civil rights organization.