Hillary Clinton Decries ‘Madness’ After Murder of Baton Rouge Cops

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spoke out forcefully Monday against the shooting of police by a gunman in Baton Rouge, La., saying attacks on law enforcement officers need to stop.

“This madness has to stop,” Clinton said as the Republican convention kicked off in Cleveland.

“Everyone is safer when there is respect for the law and when everyone is respected by the law,” added Clinton, who has sought to strike a balance between support for Black Lives Matters protesters and condemnation of any attacks against police.

The shooting Sunday in Baton Rouge left three police officers dead and others wounded. Clinton called for building trust between cops and the communities they police, something she said gets more difficult after every death.

“Today there are people all across America sick over what happened in Baton Rouge and in Dallas, but also fearful that the murders of police officers means that vital questions about police community relations will go unanswered,” Clinton said.

“Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of these police officers,” she added. “Empathy works both ways.”