A CNN panel exploded into chaos following the Dallas murders of five police officers last week when a guest arrogantly declared that cops intentionally shoot black men for sport.
Speaking with Don Lemon, former congressional black caucus member Angela Rye boldly stated that "rogue cops" shoot black men for "sport," launching a firestorm of arguments, prompting the St. Louis Police Officer's Association's Jeff Roorda to proclaim it "the most offensive thing I've ever heard on this network." Transcript below:
ROORDA: Economic segregation is a very real thing. It's at the root of these deadly confrontations, but law enforcement didn't create that economic segregation.
RYE: Okay.
ROORDA: The politicians who are now attacking law enforcement like one of our fellow panelists are the ones that created that and allow it to continue. Cops are there to make those neighborhoods safer, to try to make black lives matter, to try to allow these kids to see a future where many don't.
LEMON: Let Angela respond. I believe you were talking about Angela. Go ahead.
RYE: Yeah. So first of all, I don't know what you're talking about. I have not said anything that was hate-filled or anything toward law enforcement. I worked for 40-plus members of Congress who have never done such a thing so I reject that and I hope that you start telling the truth on air because we have an awesome responsibility to try to end —
LEMON: But go on and address the issue, Angela.
ROORDA: Whatever.
RYE: So that’s — did you say whatever? Anyway, so let me read this. We had Donald Trump's statement. We have Hillary Clinton's statement and we're talking about an incident that is supposedly anti-police. I hope it's not black lives matter because this is what Black Lives Matter said. They said: “Black activists have raised a call for an end to violence and not an escalation of it. Yesterday's attack were the actions of a lone gunman. To assign the actions of one person to an entire movement is dangerous and irresponsible” and to that end, I stand with them in solidarity.
ROORDA: Were you here in Ferguson? Did you see the way the black lives matter protests — protesters conducted themselves?
RYE: So what I think is very important for you to understand just like there are rogue cops who shoot black people for sport, there are rogue protesters.
ROORDA: That's the most offensive thing I've ever heard on this network.
RYE: Well, you know what’s more offensive than to me is you calling an organization —
ROORDA: We're mounting heads on the wall? That's what law enforcement is about? We’re trying to save lives.
LEMON: Angela, do you think it's inflammatory to say that police officers shoot black people for sport?
RYE: No, I don't. I think that is exactly how I feel and when you look across this country at the data, when you look at why the folks in the streets are angry. We have been saying this for years, Don. We have —
ROORDA: It's because of that rhetoric.
RYE: We have been saying — it’s not rhetoric.
ROORDA: You’re the one fomenting violence that’s resulted in cops’ deaths last night.
RYE: Sir, let me finish my thought because you —
ROORDA: Shame on you! Shame on you!
RYE: Shame on you! Why don't you be quiet! Why don't you listen? You’re so arrogant you can't even hear.
ROORDA: Cause you’re saying the same things that led to murders last night. That’s why I’m not going to be quiet.
RYE: You know what? The blood is not on my hands for telling the truth. There have been lynch mobs for decades. There have been killings for decades that we have been told we lied about before there was videotape and audiotape and conveniently during Alton Sterling's cold-hearted murder the other day, body cameras fell off. Don't tell me about how I'm doing — the blood is not on my hands, sir.
ROORDA: And the video from convenience store exonerates those cops.
LEMON: Yeah. Hey Charles —
RYE: And what I’m telling you is that is not true.
LEMON: — Charles —
RYE: You know that's not true.
LEMON: Give us the final word here, please cause again, nobody hears when everybody is talking.
CHARLES BLOW: Listen, I just think that what we have to ask ourselves is it acceptable for us that so many of these young black people, disproportionately young black people are collateral damage in the quest for our safety?
LEMON: Yeah.
BLOW: And that's a very simple question, right? That's the moral argument and separate from the legal argument. That's the moral argument. If we accept and say that this is not acceptable to us that is the starting — that is a baseline for a constructive conversation and constructive kind of re-aligning of policing in America.
