President Obama made a brief statement about the senseless shooting deaths of 2 black males by cops.
In a statement released on Thursday, Obama said he was “encouraged” that his justice department opened an investigation into the death of Alton Sterling.
The 37-year-old father-of-5 was selling CDs outside a Baton Rouge convenience store when he was killed by 2 cops early Wednesday.
Obama also mentioned 32-year-old Philando Castile, a Minnesota cafeteria worker who was shot to death on Wednesday by a milquetoast cop during a routine traffic stop.
“We’ve seen such tragedies far too many times, and our hearts go out to the families and communities who’ve suffered such a painful loss,” Obama said in his statement.
Obama took care to praise the thousands of men and women in law enforcement who risk their lives to protect the public.
“To admit we’ve got a serious problem in no way contradicts our respect and appreciation for the vast majority of police officers who put their lives on the line to protect us every single day,” Obama said. “It is to say that, as a nation, we can and must do better to institute the best practices that reduce the appearance or reality of racial bias in law enforcement.”
