News / Politics

Obama: US badly needs to ‘reimagine its policing’

Tuesday, 13 April 2021 5:33 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 13 April 2021 5:33 PM ]

Former US President Barack Obama

Former US President Barack Obama has called for “a full and transparent investigation” into the police killing of young African-American Daunte Wright, adding that the United States badly needs to “reimagine policing.”

“Our hearts are heavy over yet another shooting of a Black man, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police. It’s important to conduct a full and transparent investigation, but this is also a reminder of just how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this country,” Obama said in a statement on Tuesday.

Protests against police erupted have erupted across the US after an officer fatally shot 20-year-old Wright after stopping his vehicle for a traffic violation on Sunday about 10 miles from where African-American George Floyd was killed during a police arrest in Minneapolis last May.

“Michelle and I grieve alongside the Wright family for their loss. We empathize with the pain that Black mothers, fathers, and children are feeling after yet another senseless tragedy,” Obama continued. “And we will continue to work with all fair-minded Americans to confront historical inequities and bring about nationwide changes that are so long overdue.”

US police ‘can't be reformed’: Congresswoman

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib on Monday said the US police are “intentionally racist" and "can't be reformed" in response to Wright's death.

“It wasn't an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence,” Tlaib tweeted.

"Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed,” she added.

Systemic racist violence rooted in US legacy of slavery: Analyst

A US-based journalist and political analyst said the surge in violence against people of color in the US is a systemic problem rooted in the legacy of slavery and legalized segregation in the country.

In an interview with Press TV, Dr. Abayomi Azikwe held that the police practices employed in the US today have their origins in the slave patrols of the 19th century that were designed to keep incarcerated Africans under the control of white landowners, merchants and officials.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir