On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Story Is,” Oregon State Rep. Andrea Valderrama (D) stated that the shooting of two people by Border Patrol agents were needless violence and then responded to a question on how she knew that by saying that she wants “to learn more about what happened. What I do know is that, over the last several months, there have been [incidents] of excessive use of force.”
After Valderrama said that “we’ve been processing this excessive use of violence against our community members”, host Elex Michaelson asked, “You called it excessive violence. Do we know that it was excessive violence? We haven’t seen any video of this yet. What Homeland Security says happened is that they were going after gang members who were in this country illegally, who were then driving a car at them, and they feared for their life. How do you know that it was excessive?”
Valderrama answered, “I’m absolutely supportive of our Department of Justice’s call for an investigation into what happened today. So, I am eager, with many of my neighbors, to learn more about what happened. What I do know is that, over the last several months, there have been [incidents] of excessive use of force. We’ve seen just teenagers at a Dutch Brothers being targeted. I’ve heard stories of guns being drawn, and, as we’ve seen in other cities, that has been the case. We’ve seen damage to public property. So, it is important to me that, as a mom and as a Portlander, we can feel safe taking our kiddos to school, going to medical appointments, and also have accountability to those who need it.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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