Democratic presidential nominee on Sunday Joe Biden condemned violence directed at law enforcement after two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were shot and critically wounded and a deputy in North Carolina was killed.
Biden called the attacks “absolutely unconscionable” and said they “bring only greater violence, injustice, and grief to a nation in desperate need of healing.”
“Brave officers who pin on the shield carry a sacred responsibility and make an extraordinary sacrifice. Just as they owe it to the American people to protect and serve with honor, restraint, and accountability, Americans owe it to them to lessen the needless danger of their inherently dangerous jobs,” Biden said.
“Acts of lawlessness and violence directed against police officers are unacceptable, outrageous, and entirely counterproductive to the pursuit of greater peace and justice in America — as are the actions of those who cheer such attacks on. Those who perpetrate these crimes must be brought to justice, and, if convicted, face the full brunt of the law,” the Democrat added.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina said Thursday that Deputy Ryan Hendrix died after responding to a call. A suspect identified by authorities as Robert Ray Doss Jr. was also shot and killed, a local ABC affiliate reported.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said two deputies were shot in the city of Compton on Saturday. The department said one male deputy and one female deputy were “ambushed’ while sitting in a patrol vehicle.”
Both deputies “sustained multiple gunshot wounds and are in critical condition,” according to the department.
President Trump on Sunday also addressed the shooting of the two deputies in Los Angeles. He retweeted a video from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office of the incident, adding “animals that must be hit hard.”
In a separate tweet, the president said “if they die, fast trial death penalty for the killer. Only way to stop this!”
The suspect was reportedly still at large as of Sunday morning.