Rep. Bowen Sends Letter in Support of Kentucky Assemblywoman Attica Scott

MILWAUKEE – A day after sending a letter (included after this statement) to Jefferson County, Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorney Thomas Wine in support of arrested Kentucky Assemblywoman Attica Scott, State Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement:

“Yesterday, I was proud to send a letter to Commonwealth’s Attorney Thomas Wine in support of Assemblywoman Attica Scott in Kentucky. I had the pleasure of visiting Louisville this past weekend, and during my conversations with activists on the ground and Assemblywoman Scott herself, it became clear to me that Assemblywoman Scott was being falsely accused by the Louisville Police Department, and that she in no way deserves to face the charges that have been levied against her. Furthermore, I remain disturbed by the trend on the part of police departments across the country of targeting protesters and elected officials who have been standing up for Black lives.”

On Thursday, September 24, Assemblywoman Attica Scott, the only Black female legislator in the state of Kentucky, was one of 24 people who were arrested by the Louisville Metro Police Department during protests following the grand jury decision to not bring charges against the police officers who killed Breonna Taylor. Assemblywoman Scott has been falsely accused of trying to burn down the Louisville Free Public Library’s Main Branch, even though her own video evidence shows that she was on the other side of the building from where the damage occurred. Assemblywoman Scott was exercising her First Amendment right to peaceful protest when she was arrested while she was peacefully seeking authorized sanctuary at a nearby church, before Louisville’s evening curfew went into effect. Assemblywoman Scott now faces numerous charges, including a felony “rioting” charge.

“In my letter, I called on Commonwealth’s Attorney Wine to drop the charges against Assemblywoman Scott, and against those American citizens who have been protesting peacefully in Louisville for change. Instead, Commonwealth’s Attorney Wine and District Attorneys across the country should be focusing their time and energy on listening and working with the community to root out the systemic racism that plagues the justice systems in which they play a part. Peaceful protest is an American right, and it is time for our justice system to recognize and respect that fact.”

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Thomas B Wine
Commonwealth’s Attorney for Jefferson County
514 W Liberty Street #200
Louisville, KY 40202

Commonwealth’s Attorney Wine,

I am writing to request that all charges against Attica Scott be dropped for the events that transpired on Thursday, September 24th, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Assemblywoman Scott was one of 24 people who were arrested by the Louisville Metro Police Department during the aftermath of the grand jury decision to not bring charges against the police officers who killed Breonna Taylor. Assemblywoman Scott has been falsely accused of trying to burn down the Louisville Free Public Library’s Main Branch when a flare was thrown inside, even though her own video evidence shows that she was on the other side of the building from where the damage occurred. She was exercising her First Amendment right to peacefully assemble and was arrested two minutes before the curfew started while she was peacefully seeking authorized sanctuary at a nearby church.

I have met & seen first-hand how Assemblywoman Scott is a tireless advocate for the betterment of her community and the charges she is accused of committing are completely unfounded. She is a certified anti-racism trainer and has a background in community organizing and civic engagement. Before her election to the Kentucky legislature in 2016 as the only Black female legislator in that body, she was a community organizer on the issues of racial equity and criminal justice. Her life’s work speaks for itself, and I can say with absolute certainty that Assemblywoman Scott’s actions on Thursday, September 24th were entirely peaceful and do not warrant the charges that she has been accused of.

Breanna Taylor’s murder, and the miscarriage of justice that followed when the officers involved were not held accountable, exposes why an unprecedented amount of people from all over the country, including in my state of Wisconsin, have taken to the streets to demand change and an end to systemic racism. We need a new system of public safety that holds law enforcement agencies accountable to communities of color and in particular the Black community, and specifically Black women. Don’t charge Rep. Attica Scott or the many American Patriots fighting for change. Instead, charge the police for failing to live up to a higher public safety standard and failing to provide humanity & dignity to everyone no matter their skin color.

Yours in Service,

Rep. David Bowen

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.