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Read elected officials' statements on the Stockley verdict

St. Louis Public Radio | By Erica Hunzinger,
Brit Hanson
Published September 15, 2017 at 11:56 AM CDT

National, state and local elected officials have weighed in on the acquittal of Jason Stockley, a former St. Louis police officer who fatally shot Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011.

U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, said he was outraged.

“Once again, another young Black man dies at the hands of a police officer…with no consequences,” Clay wrote, adding that Smith’s family and the community was denied justice. Lacy Clay also echoed Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner in saying the region must demand changes in law enforcement, citing a bill he introduced in Congress that would mandate increased sensitivity training for police officers to help them de-escalate potentially violent situations.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said she was “appalled at what happened to Smith” and sobered by the outcome, urging people to show each other compassion.

Read what local elected officials have said below:

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

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Erica Hunzinger
Erica Hunzinger brings several years of editing experience to the politics and education team. Before landing in St. Louis, Erica spent five years on The Associated Press' Central Region desk, handling a wide variety of topics with special emphasis on state government and agriculture and food supply. She also has been a sports copy editor at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, and an assistant news editor at The News Journal in Delaware. Erica holds a master's degree in humanities from the University of Chicago (poetry) and bachelor's in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. If you can't find her, try looking at Busch Stadium — or any other ball diamond in the region.
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Brit Hanson
Brit Hanson oversees special newsroom projects while also tending to the digital aspects of daily reporting and production. She comes to St. Louis Public Radio from northern New York, where she was North Country Public Radio's first-ever digital reporter and producer. Brit is a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.
See stories by Brit Hanson