Central Kentucky SURJ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Lexington-Fayette County Branch 3097 of the NAACP
Media Contact: Robin Kunkel
rckunkel12@gmail.com
859-351-7730
Public Outcry As LPD And County Attorney Pursue Convictions Against Organizers Who Led Peaceful Protests
A handful of local protestors and organizers still face criminal prosecution for leading last summer’s peaceful protests.
LEXINGTON, KY — January 29, 2021. Local Lexington organizers head to court February 4, 2021 to face criminal charges related to last summer’s peaceful Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, despite widespread public outcry from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), local clergy, and everyday residents. Around the country, prosecutors in similar circumstances are dropping charges — even where property damage or injuries to police officers occurred. Mayor Linda Gorton, on numerous occasions, has credited the protests for helping her see the need for the Commission on Racial Justice and Equality that recently delivered a 68-page report with over 50 policy recommendations on ways to improve the lives of Lexington’s Black community.
Like hundreds of other BLM protests that took place last summer, Lexington’s protests sought justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both killed by police. While many cities saw riots, property damage and injuries, Lexington did not. Still, on two separate occasions, police officers arrested protestors and charged them with a range of offenses, including Inciting A Riot, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct, and Possession of Marijuana.
Local clergy, Lexington-Fayette County Branch 3097 of the NAACP, and many other Lexington residents have written letters asking the Mayor, City Councilmembers, the County Attorney, the Police Chief and the President of the Fraternal Order of Police to drop all charges. At the time of this writing, an online petition to the same effect has over 4,000 signatures.
“They’ve targeted us and trumped up these charges, because they don’t like that we’re demanding change,” says protest organizer Sarah Williams. “Our police force needs to be accountable to the public and transparent about what they do and why. Right now, they only answer to themselves. They’re trying to intimidate us into backing off.”
Questions over Lexington Police Department (LPD) transparency and accountability have been publicly contentious since February, 2019, when video emerged of off-duty police officer, Donovan Stewart, hitting a restrained Black minor in the head. Calls for discipline and changes to the city’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) followed, but Officer Stewart was allowed to retire with his full pension, effectively ending any investigation into his behavior or possibilities for discipline. There have been no changes to the CBA.
Protestors and other Lexington residents have sought body camera footage related to the arrests and to claims by officers that drugs and drug paraphernalia was found. All have been denied access on the grounds that the cases are still pending. LPD, however, released portions of the body camera footage to their Facebook page on July 12, to counter claims they’d used choke holds in the July 11, 2020 arrests.
The five protestors face 30 criminal charges between them. According to aggregate data from the RAND Corporation, the cost to taxpayers to prosecute them will be thousands of dollars.
About NAACP
The NAACP is a U.S. civil rights organization started in 1909. Its purpose is: "To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination."
About SURJ
SURJ, or Showing Up for Racial Justice, is a mult-racial organization committed to collective liberation that specifically seeks to undermine white support for white supremacy.
If you would like to contact local officials about dropping the charges, here are phone numbers and emails of the County attorneys involved and the mayor (since she appeared to be unaware of this unfolding situation) #DropTheCharges #LPDAccountability
Larry Roberts, County Attorney
8592544941
LarryS.Roberts@fayettecountyattorney.com
Elizabeth Bancroft, Assistant County Attorney
8592261829
Liz.bancroft@fayettecountyattorney.com
Linda Gorton, Mayor
8592583100
mayor@lexingtonky.gov