The War On Cops reached a disgusting new low this past week when a university installed a statue of a convicted cop killer on their campus.
In 1977, Native American activist Leonard Peltier was convicted of murdering two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation. After fleeing the scene of the shooting, Peltier was put on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list, which lead to his eventual arrest and conviction.
Since his arrest, Peltier has given multiple conflicting alibis, but admitted to having fired shots at the FBI agents in his 1999 memoirs (he denies the shots were fatal).
According to an AU press release, the statue is a “piece of art” and was installed “as part of a major clemency push by supporters in the final days of President Barack Obama’s presidency.” Administrators also noted that the presence of the statue will help “raise awareness for Peltier’s plight and pardon request.”
Not surprisingly, the introduction of the statue has drawn the ire of many AU students and alumni, who feel the university is lionizing a convicted cop-killer.
AU promotes clemency for convicted cop killer with statue https://t.co/i1zXO7Z5FJ
— Campus Reform (@campusreform) December 23, 2016
“An absolute disgrace. AU has gone over the edge,” wrote one Facebook user. “Peltier not only murdered the two FBI agents but he executed them. There were defensive wounds on both agents. If you think this is the person you should admire for Native American rights, there’s something wrong with you.”
The statue is scheduled to remain on display at AU till April 2017.