We should not be looking at murders live on television of Black men and women and saying, “I’m shocked! Oh my God, another one murdered!”

We stop for a moment in disbelief only to wonder what will happen in the case. There are too many cases where there is a slap on the hand or a change of locations when police officers walk away after callously murdering an African-American male or female.

One brave former officer, Cariol Horne, talked recently about the stand she took in 2006 when a white fellow officer in Buffalo, N.Y., used a chokehold on an African-American male. She was fired for trying to stop the officer from using the chokehold and lost her pension. She saved the Black man’s life.

I wonder why other officers stand by and allow senseless murders to occur. Even when the message of retaliation was sent — “You never cross that Blue Line” — Officer Horne never gave up the fight. She won a legal ruling recently in which she may finally be receiving her back pay and pension.

For these sanctioned murders and brutality by police departments to stop, we must demand accountability and action from our legislators to implement laws such as Cariol’s Law, which was enacted in Buffalo and makes it mandatory for officers to intervene when actions of another officer could result in death or harm and protects the officer who reports it from any retaliation.

There also should be a registry where officers involved in these harmful actions would be required to register and not be allowed to be hired by other police departments.

Investigations should be conducted and charges brought in all cases involving police murders so that murder and brutality no longer becomes the norm. These shocking actions taken by those who defy justice should receive the strong impact of the law!

PATRICIA BROWN

North Chesterfield