Citizens Angered By Georgia Police Department Using Black Man on Shooting Targets

A Georgia community is in uproar as the police department shared images of a citizen handgun class on Facebook. Participants were seen shooting at targets featuring a Black man's photo. The Villa Rica Police Department organized the class last Saturday.

An Awkward Situation

“We wanted to share a few photos with everyone,” the post read. “Even though the weather was hot, everyone seemed to have a good time. Check out our Facebook page for more photos.”

Among the images shared, one depicts an instructor standing beside a participant who is taking aim at the target with a handgun.

The incident triggered numerous comments from community members, accusing the department of racism. Subsequently, all class photos were removed from the department's Facebook page.

Too Late to Apologize

In response, an apology was posted on Facebook, emphasizing the department's commitment to fostering a positive relationship with the community and treating all individuals equally, irrespective of their diverse backgrounds.

The targets used in the firearms class were intended to represent realistic human images, including individuals from different ethnicities, as part of a comprehensive package. The Villa Rica Police Department acknowledged the importance of maintaining equity and inclusivity in their interactions with the community they serve.

“The Villa Rica Police Department strives to be conscious of how our relationship with our community members has a direct impact on our effectiveness within the community we serve,” the apology said. “This includes our stance on being equitable to all people regardless of their human diversity factors. The targets utilized in our recent firearms class depict realistic human images and were part of a package which included target images of people from various ethnic groups. It was never our intention to be insensitive, inflammatory, or offensive to anyone,” the post continued. “However, we respect the honest opinions of our fellow citizens and apologize for any offense we may have caused.”

The NAACP Responds

After the department's apology, the NAACP of Carroll County wrote a letter addressing the issue of the controversial targets. The letter expressed concerns about the offensive nature of using exclusively Black men as targets and highlighted that such targets have been deemed racially inappropriate by other police departments.

Furthermore, the NAACP criticized the police department's apology on Facebook, perceiving it as insincere and lacking sensitivity towards minority residents. County NAACP leaders requested a meeting with city officials to discuss this matter further.

This article was produced and syndicated by Max My Money.