The Louisiana chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, today called on the Policy and Oversight Subcommittee of the Police Training, Screening, and De-escalation Task Force to discuss Louisiana’s so-called “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows a person to use deadly force in public even if they could clearly and safely walk away from a confrontation, in the wake of the fatal shooting on Saturday of Danny Buckley, a Black man in Baton Rouge. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the white suspect was briefly questioned by police before being released having asserted self-defense; he was subsequently arrested days later after public pressure mounted.
“Danny Buckley should still be alive today,” said Angelle Bradford, a volunteer with the Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action. “But racist laws like Stand Your Ground encourage deadly vigilantism and violence – particularly against Black people. As the Task Force works to address systemic racism and inequity, they should take a close look at this dangerous law.”
Louisiana is one of the 26 states with a Stand Your Ground law. Stand Your Ground laws are associated with clear increases in gun homicides and encourage violence. When white shooters kill Black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11 times more frequently than when the shooter is Black and the victim is white.
