WASHINGTON, October 10 (RIA Novosti) - Violent force turns out to be a regular enforcement strategy in the United States, US police needs to respect human life, the Executive Director of the US Human Rights Network, Ejim Dike told RIA Novosti on Friday.
"Violent force should be a last resort for police, but instead it appears to be a regular enforcement strategy, particularly when dealing with people of color," Dike told Ria Novosti on Friday. "Our police need to respect and protect the human life for all people," he added.
St. Louis saw the second night of protests on Thursday, which were sparked by the killing of African-American teenager Vonderrick Myers by an off-duty white police officer. According to the police, the officer returned the fire after Myers fired three shots at him.
"Our thoughts are with the family of Vonderrick D. Myers Jr., who have lost a loved one," Dike said. "We remain alarmed at the high rate at which black men are targeted and killed by the very law enforcement that is supposed to protect them," he added.
Dike stressed that the police and political leadership must ensure that all law enforcement officers are trained to hold the human right to life as paramount.
"As a nation, we simply cannot afford to turn a blind eye to continued losses of our black sons and daughters to unwarranted deadly force by police," he emphasized.
The officer who shot and killed Myers has been placed on administrative leave, and the investigation is underway.
The death of Myers is the second such incident in St. Louis County since August, when police officer Darren Wilson, also white, shot dead Michael Brown, another 18-year-old African American.
