The House unanimously passes a resolution to create a task force to study policing policy after removing language mentioning the killing of George Floyd.
Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala backed the effort but expressed frustration that there isn’t adequate appreciation for the dangers of police work. Bacala says since 2017 cops are more likely to be killed in the line of duty than black men are to be killed by cops.
“Of 800,000 law enforcement officers in this country 584 were killed in the line of duty,” said Bacala.
Bacala, a retired Ascension Parish sheriff’s deputy, says the conversation about policing right now isn’t featuring all of the facts.
“If we are going to talk let’s talk, let’s don’t’ limit what we are willing to speak about to what only some people want to speak about,” said Bacala.
Baton Rouge Representative Ted James responded, saying people who murder cops get arrested, while cops who murder black men get taxpayer-funded vacations and rarely suffer consequences.
“When stuff happens to police officers we respond, when stuff happens to African American males we come up here and kumbaya but we don’t respond with action,” said James.
James was animated in his comments, detailing what he says was an agreement between Republican leaders and the Black Caucus to pass the resolution by stripping it of language mentioning George Floyd and holding no floor speeches about policing. After the amendments stripping the bill passed, Bacala made his comments, leading to James accusing GOP leaders of duplicity.
James called for a reckoning on racial profiling and mentioned an incident where he was confronted by Baton Rouge police while with other black men. He says he showed the officers he was a lawmaker and was treated different.
“One of them had the audacity to tell me that I thought you were one of them, I am one of them! Just because I had this pin does not make me any different and I want you guys to know that despite the title as soon as I walked out of here to many people I’m just one of them,” said James.
The resolution, by Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields, heads back to the Senate for approval of the House made changes.
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