Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called for officers to be held accountable for the shooting of Jacob Blake and the death of Breonna Taylor.
On Wednesday, Biden appeared for a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, where he discussed a number of key issues including the civil unrest erupting in multiple cities across the country, along with the public outcry and calls for justice for Blake and Taylor, The Hill reported.
When asked if he believes the officers should face charges for their involvement in the highly publicized shootings, Biden weighed in with his thoughts on the shootings and the judicial system.
“I think we should let the judicial system work its way,” Biden said. “I do think at a minimum they need to be charged.”
See Biden’s remarks below:
Biden says officers who shot Jacob Blake and killed Breonna Taylor should be charged at “minimum.” pic.twitter.com/WbmWv6I03L
— The Recount (@therecount) September 2, 2020
Biden’s latest remarks come amid the Republicans’ heightened scrutiny and criticism of his stance on law enforcement.
On multiple occasions, President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have accused Biden and Democratic lawmakers of wanting to defund the police while focusing on attributes more relative to abolishing law enforcement.
However, Biden has clarified that he has no interest in defunding the police. On Monday, Biden reiterated his stance as he offered details about his proposed plan to increase funding by $300 million.
“Let’s get the facts straight, I not only don’t want to defund the police. I want to add $300 million to their local budgets to deal with community policing to get police and communities back together again,” Biden told KDKA.
On Thursday, Biden is expected to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin. His visit will come less than two weeks after Blake was shot in the back seven times at point-blank range. The officer implicated in Blake’s shooting has been identified as Rusten Sheskey.
While Sheskey has been placed on administrative leave pending the current investigation, no formal charges have been filed against him, as of yet.
