Sunday's shooting in Baton Rouge, La. has diminished the spirits of Americans. As more information continues to roll out about the incident that killed three officers and wounded several others, a Facebook post surfaced from one of the slain officers that talked about the turmoil in recent weeks.
Montrell L. Jackson, an officer in Baton Rouge since June 2006, wrote a Facebook post on July 8 detailing his own experiences patrolling Baton Rouge. The post comes just days after the killing of Alton Sterling, as well as the police deaths in Dallas.
What makes Jackson’s post heartbreaking is how he described his experience as an African American cop and the hateful looks he got for wearing his uniform even when he wasn’t on duty. “I swear to God I love this city but I wonder if this city loves me,” he wrote. “In uniform I get nasty hateful looks and out of uniform some consider me a threat.”
In reference to Baton Rouge, he wrote, “This city MUST and WILL get better. I’m working in these streets so any protesters, officers, friends, family or whoever, if you see me and need a hug or want to say a prayer. I got you.”
When we consider Jackson’s relationship with the world as an African American officer, he was caught in the middle of an increasing tension between the public and law enforcement. President Barack Obama made a statement on the Baton Rouge shooting saying we as a nation have to be “loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement” and added “attacks on police are an attack on all of us, and the rule of law that makes society possible.”
Obama's words almost spoke directly to the thoughts Jackson had just weeks ago, and he will become a symbol for change as America continues to find a solution to end these senseless killings.
Read his powerful statement, below:
