Police Chief James Craig ripped Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, during an interview Sunday calling Tlaib “reckless” for her comments on the police.
James Craig, the police chief for Detroit, appeared on Detroit’s local Fox 2’s “Let It Rip” with Charlie Langton with the segment opening up with a clip showing Tlaib speaking about the current state of policing in America after the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright on April 11 in Minnesota, reported Deadline Detroit.
Tlaib said, “The structure in place for policing has left more of our black neighbors and brown communities feeling so incredibly unsafe and it’s unfair. There’s no accountability.”
When the video ended, Craig is seen on camera immediately shaking his head before being asked for a reaction to the clip. (RELATED: ‘No More Policing’: Rep. Rashida Tlaib Claims Daunte Wright Shooting Was ‘Government Funded Murder’)
Chief James Craig says Rep. Rashida Tlaib should resign following her ‘abolish the police’ comment. He said he would even throw her a goodbye party.
Posted by FOX 2 Detroit on Sunday, April 18, 2021
“You know, she’s reckless. And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she’s reckless and now she’s trying to peddle backwards because she knew what she said made no sense. She does not speak for black and brown people in our city.”
Tlaib had been tweeting the day after the shooting, calling the police “inherently and intentionally racist.”
It wasn’t an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist.
Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder.
No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 12, 2021
Craig goes on in the video saying he would like to see the congresswoman resign. “I’d throw her a goodbye party,” Craig said.
Tlaib’s chief of staff clarified after her comments that the Minnesota representative does not think that more investing in police, incarcerations, and criminalization will make communities safer. But, that more should be invested in education, employment, and fighting poverty, according to Deadline Detroit.
Craig responded to this idea saying, “I’m all for social service programs. I support that. But not on the backs of our men and women who serve.”
