The Coalition Against Police Brutality does not share the Editorial Board’s faith in Margolis, Healy & Associates.
The firm is not an independent investigative unit. Margolis, Healy & Associates is made up of ex-police and military personnel, and its founder is trained in counterterrorism from Israel.
We went more than 25 years without a shooting on campus. We feel the shooting of UF graduate student Kofi Adu-Brempong was due in part to the militarization of our campus. We are students, not terrorists. Treat us as such. We agree there needs to be an investigation and are pleased the Editorial Board supports the move toward a grand jury.
However, we are not pleased that the Alligator misquoted us on the firing of officer Smith. We are calling for the suspension of officer Keith Smith and termination only if the independent investigation suggests that’s necessary. We share your curiosity about why Smith was hired by UPD to begin with and that he does not deserve paid leave.
As for the charges on Kofi: We feel these could be used against him as a bargaining tool not to pursue a civil case. A judge has determined there is enough evidence to pursue charges, but the administration can still advocate his innocence.
We understand the administration does not have the power to give us our demands, but they can support our cause. We would like letters of endorsement and encouragement from the Board of Trustees and the administration.
This will show that not only the Student Body but the administration wants justice for Kofi.
