Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins continued her call on Thursday for systemic change within policing and the criminal justice system, hitting back against the characterization of her remarks on the topic earlier this week by the Boston Patrolman's Association.
“My statements were never intended for the majority of officers that are upstanding, hardworking, courageous, and culturally competent, that I work with every day," Rollins told Jim Braude on WGBH News' Greater Boston Thursday. "I’m talking about the outliers, the ones, who like Derek Chauvin, can kill."
“If our Boston Police Patrolmen Association and detectives don’t feel comfortable saying that this is not one of our own, then I have a problem with that, and I don’t have a problem saying that out loud," she added.
On Saturday, in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Rollins tweeted: “Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony McDade. Christian Cooper. While we are being murdered at will by the police & their proxy, privileged racists like Amy Cooper play the victim. No more apologies. No more words. Demand action. Radical change now. Nothing less.”
During a press conference Monday, Rollins doubled down on her tweet, saying, “It is completely ironic to have to say to you, ‘Please don’t be violent. Please keep your voice down. Please comply with all of the police’s requirements,' when, in fact, it’s those very people that murder us with impunity.’”
On Tuesday, the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association sent a letter to Rollins, denouncing her tweet and her Monday statement, saying that she “undoubtedly incited violence against the proud men and women of the Boston Police Department.”
“Instead of slandering our officers as murders, you should be highlighting their professionalism and dedication to our city,” the letter read.
Fifty-three people were arrested and nine police officers were sent to the hospital Sunday, following chaos that erupted in downtown Boston following hours of peaceful protest in the city, according to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross.
Rollins has received overwhelming support for her comments from public officials, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Mayor Walsh, and the NAACP.
Speaking Thursday, Rollins called for change within the justice system that lets violent officers off the hook and within police departments to end this violence.
“We are at a critical moment in time. We need loud and bold, courageous leadership,” she said.
