State Rep. Lorraine Birabil speaking to the press at Freedman’s Cemetery (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
State Rep. Lorraine Birabil organized a protest and held a press conference at Freeman’s Cemetery on Wednesday (June 3) to show off the diversity of Dallas’ African American community.
She told her own story of her encounter with police brutality by the Dallas Police Department.
She called the police when there was a trespasser on her property. Police responded and took a report from the trespasser first. He was white. When her father objected, he was attacked and she was arrested.
Birabil wants the community at large to see who makes up her community in Dallas. Among those holding signs with the names of African Americans who were killed by police were doctors and other first responders, attorneys, business owners and other professionals.
She said she would like Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the Legislature to deal with the crises we’re currently facing.
In the next session, she will propose a “See Something, Say Something” bill. If an officer sees bad behavior of another police officer, that officer would be required to report it.
“It’s what they ask the public to do,” she said.
Not reporting bad behavior would become a crime. Penalty could range from a class A misdemeanor to a felony. For the officers that stood around while a fellow officer murdered George Floyd, they would be charged with complicity.
— David Taffet
