The NAACP is calling for new gun-control measures following the shooting of two New York police officers over the weekend.
“These two killings and the life-threatening injury, like so many other unfortunate incidences of gun violence, provide a stark example of the need for sensible gun control measures, and the need to thoughtfully address untreated mental illness,” the civil rights organization said.
The NAACP also warned against connecting the murder of the NYPD officers to the nationwide protests over the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y.
Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot and killed by Ismaaiyl Brinsley Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn while sitting in their patrol car. Social media posts by Brinsley showed his anger toward police officers after the non-indictments in the Brown and Garner cases.
Investigators are still trying to determine if Brinsley was part of any protests in the Brown and Garner deaths.
“While some may suggest a causal link between these killings and the recent protests and activism focused on the serious issue of police violence against unarmed African-Americans, we caution against escalating an already tense national state through rumor and conjecture,” the NAACP statement said.
Many have tried to draw a link between Brinsley and the protesters, who have been rallying for changes in police tactics for weeks following the non-indictment of the police officers in the Garner and Brown incidents.
