March 18, 2022 – New York, NY – In response to a just-released video of Edward Bronstein being forcibly held down and killed following a traffic stop—after police said they had suspicion of Bronstein being under the influence of a narcotic—Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of theDrug Policy Alliance (DPA), released the following statement:
“Caught on tape, the world was once again given a first-hand reminder of how drug involvement or suspicion of drug use is too often used by police as an excuse to harass, assault and even kill people. The gut-wrenching video of Edward Bronstein’s death at the hands of police is an example of the harms of the drug war. Despite repeatedly saying ‘I’ll do it willingly,’ cops ignored him and physically forced Bronstein to submit to a drug test—he then died after multiple police knelt on him to draw blood.
“Police have been given unchecked power to use aggressive tactics, which in too many instances has led to killings, particularly of Black, Latinx and Indigenous people. Drugs have been used to justify the police violence and fatal encounters which are supported by ever-increasing police budgets, despite not ending the drug war and overdose rates increasingly exponentially while leading to the death of Edward Bronstein and so many before him: Breonna Taylor, Carlos Ingram Lopez, Daniel Prude, Dwayne Pritchett, Eric Garner, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others.
“As the country grapples with the perceived increase in violence in our communities, we should question and address the continuous violence that our law enforcement agencies are inflicting in our communities.
“The Drug Policy Alliance will continue fighting to remove drug involvement as a cover for disregarding the dignity and sanctity of human life. We will challenge institutions and their policies. We believe there is an alternative response to these moments and stand at the ready to work with those ready to chart out the new way.”
About the Drug Policy Alliance
The Drug Policy Alliance envisions a just society in which the use and regulation of drugs are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights, in which people are no longer punished for what they put into their own bodies, and in which the fears, prejudices and punitive prohibitions of today are no more. Our mission is to advance those policies and attitudes that best reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, and to promote the autonomy of individuals over their minds and bodies. Learn more at drugpolicy.org
