Clergy across the country are asking North Miami Beach Police to use their pictures for target practice.
Clergy from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have taken to social media in response to reports that NMB police used mugshots of black men for target practice. The clergy posted pictures of themselves with the hashtag #usemeinstead, the Washington Post reports.
NBC 6 reported on the initial incident, revealing that North Miami Beach Police used the mugshots of black men for target practice at a gun range in December.
Family outraged after North Miami Beach Police use criminal photos as #HumanTargets. VIDEO: http://t.co/0hzALWdpdW pic.twitter.com/zJ7HFGntNB
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) January 15, 2015
Now, clergy and laymen across the country are offering their faces to the police department through a facebook page and their twitter accounts.
Grateful for our public servants in law enforcement, I invite @myNMBPolice to #usemeinstead in target practice. pic.twitter.com/ZAIovw6bax
— Beth Maynard (@beth_may) January 18, 2015
Astonished @myNMBPolice use photos for targets. You do know you’re supposed to uphold the law, right? #usemeinstead pic.twitter.com/DViLN9cxng
— Graeme Fancourt (@graemefancourt) January 18, 2015
Feel free to use my photo for target practice. @myNMBPolice #UseMeInstead pic.twitter.com/BhqJSvbdqm
— Jenna Couch (@PastorJenna) January 18, 2015
So, Miami police, please #UseMeInstead pic.twitter.com/n5x2vW5hLa
— Nathan White (@NPWhite717) January 26, 2015
Yeah, you can #usemeinstead pic.twitter.com/7561WbMX0x
— Burton, Benjamin (@benjaminburton) January 18, 2015
Please #usemeinstead since #BlackLivesMatter @myNMBPolice pic.twitter.com/5kDclwb9WW
— Kurt C. Wiesner (@kurtcwiesner) January 18, 2015
The police department has apologized and said it will no longer use any mugshots for target practice.
“When this facial recognition sniper shooting drill was brought to our attention we immediately told the family that it would stop, we kept our word, and it has,” Chief of Police Scott Dennis said in a statement. “It is no longer a practice of the North Miami Beach Police Department. This sort of mug shot drill has been suspended indefinitely and ceases to exist as part of our training.”
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