#DCFerguson will hold a rally, 6pm, February 22 at the Congress Heights Metro Station in Washington DC and March to the 7th District Police Station. The purpose of the rally is to bring more awareness to the “Jump Outs” a military style tactical unit within the Metropolitan Police Department.

Justice for Raphael Briscoe Rally & March Congress Heights Metro Station February 22, 6:00 PM

#DCFerguson continues to stand in solidarity with the Ralphael Briscoe family and the sisters and brothers that are continuing to protest and resist the police murders of Black and Latino people every 28 hours in America.

ANSWER Coalition organizer Eugene Puryear says,”The murder of Rafael Briscoe should be a turning point. Where we finally come to terms with the root causes of these issues and address social deprivation and oppression and the police brutality that comes with it.”

The initial sponsors of #DCFerguson include the National Black United Front, the ANSWER Coalition, We Act Radio, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the American Muslim Alliance, as well as independent organizing networks that have sprung up in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing.

If you haven’t heard of Raphael Briscoe, here’s some background information.

Rafael Briscoe Third Person to be Killed by Officers in D.C. this Year

Cross-posted from Homicide Watch DC April 27, 2011

Rafael Briscoe of Southeast, DC, who was killed Tuesday afternoon by D.C.Metropolitan Police officers, is the third person to die in a D.C. officer involved shooting this year. On Feb 13, Davon Sealy, 19, of Gaithersburg, and Akeem Jamaal Cayo, 21, were fatally shot in a shoot-out with officers after a botched home invasion robbery.

MPD’s protocol for deadly use of force is here. A good discussion of the use of deadly force, it’s impacts and how communities respond is on the FBI’s website, here. That document describes the general tension surrounding officer-involved fatal shootings as follows:

Some members of the public seem to automatically assume that the officer did something wrong before any investigation into the incident begins. Conversely, others believe that if the police shot somebody, the individual must not have given the officer any choice.