June 6, 2007

Leaders of east Austin's African-American community call for an independent investigation into the police shooting of Kevin Brown.

The East Austin Social Action Coalition calls for an independent autopsy on Kevin Brown's body and for an independent investigation of the events leading up to the shots that killed Brown Sunday morning.

The Reverend Sterling Lands also says Police Sergeant Michael Olsen should have been, to use his term, "released" from all duties pending that independent investigation. He calls the shooting an "act of apparent unprovoked violence against an Austin citizen."

"Killing Blacks and Browns in Austin, Travis County, Texas will not be tolerated or accepted as standard APD operating procedure," Lands says.

While saying Brown's shooting deprived him of his Constitutional right to due process, Lands says an independent investigation would also protect the due process rights of Sergeant Michael Olsen, the veteran Austin Police officer. Lands says it would prevent Olsen from becoming a "scapegoat" that would permit the issues around the shooting to be forgotten and not allow for a systemic change in Austin Police policy toward people of color

Lands also appeals for calm within the African-American community, saying urges toward violent reaction to Brown's shooting should be turned toward non-violent change within APD. [MORE]