St Louis, MO -- Today, ex-St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley was found not guilty in the 2011 shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith. Stockley was violating policy by carrying his own assault rifle, his own DNA was found on the weapon that he claimed was in Anthony’s possession, and video footage captured Stockley proclaiming he intended to kill Smith. This verdict comes just a few years after the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in St. Louis was not indicted.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
"All too often, we are reminded that - in St. Louis and across the country - not everyone is safe in their own neighborhoods or their own communities. This verdict that will let the killer of Anthony Lamar Smith walk free is the latest injustice on the staggeringly long list of police killings of black people that have gone unpunished.
“Every person deserves the right to live on a healthy planet in a safe community and every person who cares about human rights and civil rights should be outraged that these unjust denials of those basic rights for black people are now commonplace in our country. It is more important than ever to clearly say that black lives matter and that challenging the white supremacy that allows these tragedies to occur over and over again must be a priority. The Sierra Club is in solidarity with those demanding justice and struggling for change.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.