Kamala Harris demands justice for Joshua Brown

Senator Kamala Harris has demanded authorities investigate and bring justice for the murder of Joshua Brown, who was shot to death over the weekend just days after he was a key witness in the murder trail of a former Dallas police officer.

Joshua Brown’s selflessness and courage brought some justice for his neighbor Botham Jean. We grieve again learning of Joshua’s murder.

I pray for his family, his community, and all those impacted by this tragedy.

We demand answers.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 6, 2019

NAACP Requests Independent Investigation into Shooting Death of Joshua Brown

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is requesting an independent investigation of the shooting death of Joshua Brown. Mr. Brown was a key witness in the trial of Amber Guyger, the former Dallas Police Department officer who walked into Botham Jean’s home and shot him to death. The murder of Botham Jean has raised troubling concerns from the beginning of the investigation, and now, the deeply alarming and highly suspicious murder of Joshua Brown increases the urgency of an immediate, independent investigation of every aspect of these two tragic killings.

Mr. Brown was killed just two days after a Dallas County jury sentenced Guyger to 10 years in prison. His testimony was critical to Officer Guyger’s conviction, including by establishing that Officer Guyger did not shout verbal commands or warnings before shooting Botham Jean.

“The circumstances surrounding the murder of Mr. Brown cries out for answers. Most importantly, it demands an independent investigation of how and why he was killed,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel. “We urge state or federal authorities to follow the trail of misconduct left by this case and fully investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Brown’s death. It is critical to public confidence in the administration of justice that witnesses who speak out against police violence are fully protected. The suspicious circumstances of Mr. Brown’s killing should cause great alarm and demand an immediate and piercing inquiry. We echo Allison Jean’s statement that the ‘corruption we saw during this process must stop,’ and support her request for a comprehensive federal investigation of the Dallas Police Department.”

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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.

Complaint Filed Over Judge Kemp Giving Bible To Amber Guyger

Judge Tammy Kemp, who hugged Amber Guyger and gave her a Bible after the conclusion of Guyger's murder trial, is coming under scrutiny over whether she crossed an ethical line.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization which says it protects the Constitutional principals of the separation of church and state has filed a complaint against Kemp with the Texas state agency that investigates allegations of judicial misconduct.

The Wisconsin-based group said Kemp went too far after Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Guyger was convicted of fatally shooting her neighbor, Botham Jean, in his apartment.

The complaint states:

We write to raise your awareness of Judge Kemp’s actions at the close of the trial — during which she gifted a Christian bible, instructing the convicted criminal on how to read the bible and which passages to pay attention to, and witnessing to that convicted murderer. These proselytizing actions overstepped judicial authority, were inappropriate and were unconstitutional.

Courtroom video shows that after the sentencing and the victim impact statement, Judge Kemp left the courtroom, then returned holding her personal bible. She walked over to Amber Guyger at the defense table and proceeded to preach.

[SOURCE: NBCFW]