Washington, DC -  Earlier this morning, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) ended a filibuster on the Senate floor after announcing several commitments from Republicans leaders to expand background checks and close the loophole on gun availability for individuals on U.S. terrorism watch lists. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) applauds the Senator’s efforts and joins the larger national discussion to move on stronger gun control measures. 

“Enough is enough. These measures are long overdue,” states APALA National President Johanna Hester. “The nation has suffered too many instances of tragic shootings – from Newtown to San Bernardino to the most recent mass shooting in Orlando last weekend. It’s about time Congress takes action and helps put a stop to this pattern of violence at home.”

Senator Murphy’s blockade started late Wednesday morning and lasted nearly 15 hours. Legislators are now focusing on closing the loophole that allows suspected terrorists to own and purchase guns, pushing for more thorough background checks, and renewing the lapsed ban on assault weapons. 
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“Too many lives have been lost. This is but one step closer to closing the terror gap and universal background checks,” states APALA Executive Director Gregory Cendana. “Bipartisan support will be crucial to moving forward on more thorough gun controls. We will follow the debate in Congress and take note on who supports these common sense reforms--and who doesn't.”  
APALA continues to denounce the wide availability of firearms and explosives and condemns policies that standardize profiling and surveillance of marginalized communities.

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Washington, DC - On May 23, 2016, Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero was acquitted of all charges related to the death of Freddie Gray. Officer Nero was one of six Baltimore cops charged in the case and is the second to be tried after Officer William Porter, which ended in a hung jury. Both officers were charged with manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.  

"It is upsetting to continually bear witness to a system meant to protect individuals like Gray but systematically allows for his death to go unpunished. Verdicts like that of Nero's sends a clear message that our criminal justice system will only protect those in positions of power and privilege. It is a slap in the face for the residents of Baltimore and Black people everywhere to be told to trust and respect a legal process that continues to devalue Black lives and people of color," said Yves Gomes, Maryland resident and APALA National Executive Board Member.   

25-year-old Freddie Gray was detained on April 12, and on the same day of his arrest was admitted at the University of Maryland Medical Center where he would remain until his death a week later. Grey suffered from three broken vertebrae, an injured voice box and was in a coma before he died on April 19.

"If there is anything certain in this case it's that Gray did not kill himself. That was the doing of someone else," said APALA National President Johanna Puno Hester. "The policies and practices that protect these kinds of injustices without consequences has to undergo sweeping changes otherwise we will continue to bear witness to the ways in which state violence disproportionately impacts Black lives as well as all people of color. APALA stands firmly in our belief that #BlackLivesMatter and are committed to the ongoing battle of ending mass criminalization in our communities.” 
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The next police officer is set to be tried in early June, and APALA will stay tuned as the remainder of the case unfolds. 

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​Washington, DC - Yesterday, Peter Liang, who was found guilty of manslaughter and official misconduct by a grand jury in February, was sentenced to five years of probation and 800 hours of community service. This was a reduction from the original conviction of a 15-year prison sentence for the second-degree manslaughter of Akai Gurley. The second-degree manslaughter was reduced to a criminally negligent homicide following the appeals process, and with this new sentence sends a message that killing innocent lives are justified when the crime is done by a police officer.   

"We must continue calling for an end to police brutality and uplift the voices and narratives of those directly impacted by this unending cycle of systemic oppression. We know all too well that people of color, and disproportionately Black lives, are lost at the hands of the state every day and families are left to navigate a system that was never designed for them in the first place," said APALA National President Johanna Puno Hester.

Akai Gurley died at 28 years old after Peter Liang shot him in a dimly lit Brooklyn stairwell. Immediately following the shooting, Liang failed to call for medical help, killing Gurley in the process. Gurley leaves behind his daughters without a father, a mother without her son, and siblings without their brother.   

"APALA believes Akai Gurley's life mattered and that Liang should have served jail time like any average civilian who is convicted of the same crime," said Gregory Cendana, APALA's Executive Director. "We want to reiterate our support for Akai's family, especially in this difficult time, and recommit ourselves to demanding justice for Akai Gurley and the many other lives lost to state violence. APALA stands firmly in our belief that #BlackLivesMatter and will continue to fight the mass criminalization of all people of color."
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Read the Official Joint Statement from Asian/Chinese American Organizations on the Sentencing of Former NYPD Officer Peter Liang in the Killing of Akai Gurley here: bit.ly/1VABWTq. 

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