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Rev. Al Sharpton calls on US Attorney General to keep Antioch mayor safe

By KTVU staff
Updated  April 19, 2023 9:29am PDT
Antioch
KTVU FOX 2

Rev. Sharpton wants protection for Antioch mayor

The Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on the US Department of Justice to provide protection for the mayor of Antioch.

ANTIOCH, Calif. - The Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on the U.S. Attorney General to provide protection for the mayor of Antioch. 

"The hood is off for these cops, and we have seen their true colors. When you have 17 members of the Antioch Police Department offering free dinner to whoever shoots the mayor, how can you expect any of them to honestly keep him, let alone anyone else, safe?" Sharpton said in a statement. "I am respectfully asking Attorney General Garland to take over this situation, as we have seen these incidents galvanize those who wish to cause harm against Black elected officials."

Sharpton on Tuesday said Mayor Lamar Thorpe could be in danger after texts between officers suggested the mayor should be shot.

MORE: Antioch residents demand overhaul of police department after racist text scandal

That text was sent during a 2020 protest after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota. 

The text message specifically promised a prime rib dinner to anyone who shot Thorpe with a rubber bullet.

Sharpton asked how anyone could expect Antioch police to keep the mayor or any other Black elected official safe.