Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards (D) on Sunday argued that civil unrest in Baltimore last week was a visible symptom of law enforcement acting too aggressively nationwide.
{mosads}“There is over-policing going on, not just in Baltimore but in cities all across America,” Edwards told host Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”
“You have communities where the only face of government they see is law enforcement,” she said.
“We have a lot of questions to ask,” Edwards added of dealing with alleged police abuse.
“These aren’t just questions for Republicans or Democrats,” she said.
Edwards’s remarks come as she competes with fellow Democrat Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) for a Senate seat in 2016. On Sunday, she urged Americans to remain patient while the legal system searches for justice following the death of Freddie Gray on April 19.
“This is the beginning, not the end, of this process,” Edwards argued.
“There has been no judgment made,” she said. “There is a long process between the charges filed and the criminal charges then pursued.”
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Friday charged six police officers with criminal charges related to Gray’s death. He died following a fatal spinal injury while in their custody.
Edwards on Sunday praised Mosby’s speed and grace under fire.
“I think she did an amazing job in laying out the case for probable cause,” Edwards said of the charges filed against the assorted officers.
Edwards concluded that education about the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they served is the best method for preventing future crises.
“We have to change this not on the back end but on the front end of education,” she argued.
Riots erupted in Baltimore on Monday over Gray’s funeral. The city has since had a nightly curfew lasting from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Mosby ruled Gray’s death a homicide Friday afternoon. The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police has vowed the six officers charged will be vindicated of any wrongdoing.