Fatal shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota reinvigorated national outcry over the treatment of black men at the hands of law enforcement and prompted some elected officials to call for action.
Al Franken and Keith Ellison—progressive leaders from Minnesota in the U.S. Senate and House of representatives, respectively—both suggested the fatal shooting of Philando Castile Wednesday night was another injustice by law enforcement. Castile was pulled over in a traffic stop and shot while apparently reaching for his wallet. Video footage streamed to Facebook Live captured the aftermath of the incident.
The Minnesota shooting followed another shooting in Louisiana that received national attention as police fatally shot a black man after he was apprehended. That death promoted outcry from prominent officials including Hillary Clinton who called the death a “tragedy” and called for criminal justice reforms. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said it was “disturbing to say the least.”
