SSJC is outraged and anguished to learn that on Thursday, May 30th, yet another community member was killed by Montgomery County police. We extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family members and loved ones experiencing the trauma of this killing. SSJC was founded in 2018 in response to the killing of Robert White, a Black man with a mental health condition who was shot to death by a police officer while walking in his own neighborhood. In the six years following SSJC’s inception, we have lost ten more Montgomery County community members to police violence. All but two have been people of color, half of them Black men. Four of those killed were reportedly experiencing mental health crises. Last week’s killing represents a continuation of this deadly pattern.
While little is known at this point, there have been no reports that Montgomery County Police called or consulted a mobile crisis team at any point as the situation unfolded. Instead, MCPD appears to have escalated after hours of negotiation when they called for the SWAT team, not the mobile mental health crisis unit. We know that mental health crisis teams in other jurisdictions have successfully de-escalated similar situations and that community members who witness such events also benefit from the opportunity to receive comfort, support, and connection when mental health professionals are called to the scene. We are heartbroken and angry to have to issue yet another statement about a devastating loss to our community from a state-sponsored killing that may have been averted. Montgomery County knows better and SSJC demands better. We will continue to keep the community updated on any developments in this case as we learn of them.
Silver Spring Justice Coalition 