Yesterday, police shot Denaul Dickerson, a 33-year-old Black man on Charleston’s West Side.
Police violence disproportionately affects Black men, and this event raises a number of questions and concerns. Public trust demands complete and full transparency from government officials. Although the city did release footage of the shooting yesterday evening, it must also make public its current use of force policies and updates on any investigation into police conduct as they become available.
Redirection of just a fraction of resources from policing to mental health services and community supports could result in fewer events like these. We are closely monitoring this situation and renew our call to invest in community supports and mental health.