REV. SHARPTON SLAMS TRUMP DOJ DECISION TO ABANDON LAWSUITS AGAINST LOUISVILLE AND MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENTS

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May 21, 2025

Notes Action Comes on the Eve of Fifth Anniversary of George Floyd’s Murder in Minneapolis, Condemns Regression of Momentum Toward Justice

NEW YORK, NY (May 21, 2025) — Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), today condemned the Trump Justice Department’s decision to dismiss lawsuits against several police departments, including Minneapolis and Louisville, which respectively stemmed from the 2020 murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The decision to drop these charges comes weeks as the nation marks the fifth anniversary of these two killings, which sparked global protests against racial injustice, particularly at the hands of law enforcement.

“Today’s decision shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s a giant stumble backward in the journey toward justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tyre Nichols, Dexter Wade, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, and the countless other Black and Brown men and women who were unjustly killed by police.

This move isn’t just a policy reversal. It’s a moral retreat that sends a chilling message that accountability is optional when it comes to Black and Brown victims. Trump’s decision to dismiss these lawsuits with prejudice solidifies a dangerous political precedent that police departments are above scrutiny, even when they’ve clearly demonstrated a failure to protect the communities they’re sworn to serve. I want to be clear that consent decrees have been used by presidents of both parties since the height of the Civil Rights movement to correct unconstitutional and unlawful practices at the local level.

Trump is shamelessly weaponizing the Justice Department against marginalized communities. We will make that clear when we memorialize the life of George Floyd this weekend in Houston and NAN marches on Wall Street in New York City this August in defense of DEI and civil rights.”

About National Action Network (NAN)

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

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