San Diego Civil Rights Group Reacts To Recent Police Shootings

I'm Allison St. John in for Maureen Cavanaugh. It's Thursday, July 7 civil rights organizations are really after news of the shootings involving black men. The most recent in Minnesota resulted in the death of the Lando Casteel who was pulled over for just a broken tail light. The aftermath of that shooting was live streamed on Facebook. This follows another shooting in Baton Rouge where black man selling CDs outside a store was shot and killed after homeless man called police. Again there are graphic video circulating on social media. In the studio with us this morning we have Shane Harris who is president of the San Diego chapter of the national action network. Is civil rights organization Jim thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me in such a short pier time. Let's get your reaction first two this Latest News -- what goes through your mind trusting it well what goes through my mind is the fact that just yesterday we were a year from Eric Gardner and the consistency of the issues around police reform that are needed, the issues around reality that minorities and urban communities -- those in urban communities are still being battered this way and when we saw Orlando happen -- what we saw San Bernardino, we saw mass killings, we respond to that at the country but when these kind of issues are happening when we respond the same way? I think that is sort of going through my mind at this point. Will these two Killingsworth particularly shocking because they were so live on social media immediately. What stands out for you about the circumstances surrounding these two latest shootings? What stands out to me is the local well Olten sterling I can talk about Baton Rouge and what is happening there -- the attorney Edmund Jordan who I have been in contact with he has been inconsistent factor in this but the Mayor and the police chief of Baton Rouge came out and said that we are going to hand this to the federal DOJ. We're going to hand this case over. That is what stands out to me. In 36 hours the federal DOJ took over the case of Olten sterling and that is a big move because it has not happened. That is very encouraging right? You feel like local law enforcement should not be in charge of investigating. Local prosecutors cannot investigate local law enforcement effectively picked we need the federal DOJ on these things and that is why I am glad to see that within 36 hours that is happening. It has not happened historically like that I understand you hold regular rallies and you are having another one this weekend. Tell us about that. We have a Saturday action rally every month. Basically the only rally here on the West Coast for Saturday action rallies they are held back East in New York at our headquarters. This weekend particularly is focused on Robert Brandt -- a case that we dealing with a young man that was choked unconscious by a sheriff here in town but now since what has happened is with Olten sterling and Fernando Casteel will be holding the rally in response and what we will be dealing with this Saturday is the reality that we need to call for local prosecutors to be bold as those in Baton Rouge were to hand the case to federal when it is this intense. We heard this morning that some of the local jurisdictions were glad that there was not -- they were not being asked to run these cases. It is being taken to a higher level. What kind of people are showing up to these demonstrations that you are holding? All kinds of people. We will be joined by several clergy from all over the city, several community members and we are calling on all community to join us at the Saturday action rally. It is an opportunity and it is a platform to push information and educate our community on these cases. A lot of our community hear about these cases, we hear about these things of the news but we don't actually understand the logistics and in my keynote Saturday and so others will speak but in my keynote I will talk about the infrastructure that needs to be built around federal DOJ getting involved in these cases more sooner. All talk a lot about the reality that civil rights institutions are necessary. Police have institutions, teachers have institutions, there's no reason why those in our country who go as the voiceless should not have institutions. LGBT has institutions. Everyone needs institutions. That is why the work that we do in civil rights works is very important to these families. They depend on us Is this the main rest of the network that you are present in San Diego? Yes. This is the main thrust of us nationally Reverend. Sharpe founded in 1991 he wanted to do that build an infrastructure for families that are seeking justice and equality and you see in these cases many of these families will be left decided there was not civil rights organizations -- a national action network, urban league, these organizations are necessary to work with these families and 80s families to crisis. Tell us weekly where is this demonstration This will be at the Ebenezer Mission Baptist Church. It is South 39 Street. Will get the information to folks. You can go to www.nansd.net to get more information. We want to educate and we will strategize as a community and how we can be more effective around these things that are happening right here in our city estimate we will have that information on our KPBS website as well. That is Shane Harris president of the national action network San Diego chapter. Thank you for having there.