*The Reverend Al Sharpton is responding to comments made by Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) and Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) president Patrick Lynch.
“It is outrageously insulting to all police officers to say that we go out on our streets to choke people of color, as Al Sharpton stated while seated at the table right next to our mayor at City Hall,” Lynch said. “It is a person’s behavior that leads to interactions with the police, not who they are, not what they look like or how much money is in their pocket.”
Lynch was referring to a roundtable meeting at City Hall last week between Sharpton, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and others on police-community relations.
“Al Sharpton’s words do nothing to build a bond between New York City police officers and the communities that we serve and protect each and every day,” according to Lynch.
In an email to EURweb, here is Rev. Sharpton’s response:
“It is time to have a mature conversation about policing rather than immature name calling and childish attempts to scapegoat. Within the realm of criminal justice, my credibility and that of the National Action Network is established, even the President of the United States and the United States Attorney General spoke at our convention here in New York in April, and both have participated in several prior conventions.
