Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson said he has spoken with his three sons about how they should interact with police officers as African Americans.
“Have you ever had what’s called ‘the talk’ with any of your sons about how to act, how to conduct yourself when you’re confronted by a policeman?” Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked Carson.
“I have the same talk with him that my mother had with me and my brother, told them that we should always respect the positions of authority, like the police. I told my sons the same thing,” Carson responded. “And I’ve never had a problem, they’ve never had a problem.”
Carson continued, “Does that mean that there are no racist cops? No, it does not mean that. Does it mean that we need to get them out of our system? It absolutely does, and we need to look at appropriate reforms, and this is probably a good time to shine a spotlight on it, and get it done.”
Since the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest, massive protests have sprung up across the nation, demanding elected officials do more to address systemic racism in law enforcement.
On Friday night, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, a black man suspected by police of drunk driving, was shot and killed by officers in Atlanta after resisting arrest and taking an officer’s Taser.
A growing anti-police sentiment in America has led to calls of “defunding” departments and has sparked mass resignations by officers across the country.
Carson said President Trump is committed to working toward a more professional and compassionate culture around policing in America but will always defend the rights of officers working to keep communities safe.
“That’s one of the things that the president has made very clear, and that is, you know, this is an issue. It will be looked at, it will be dealt with in very much the same way that the other problems were, criminal justice reform, people have talked about it forever,” Carson said. “This administration has gotten it done. Getting money into the areas that have been depressed. This president has done it.”
