BREAKING: Espitia Issues Apology Over Claim State House Cops Are ‘Danger to Black Men’

Late Friday, progressive Democrat Rep. Manny Espitia (D-Nashua) issued a quasi-apology for his suggestion that Black males are at risk once they interact with State Home safety officers.

“An announcement I just lately made by which I referenced the “heightened risks Black males face on this nation within the presence of legislation enforcement” has been misrepresented in a information article to suggest that I used to be calling the integrity of our Protecting Providers personnel into query,” Espitia wrote to his Home colleagues.

“I apologize for not selecting my phrases extra rigorously, and I admire you offering me the chance to make this necessary clarification,” Espitia mentioned.

On Thursday evening, Espitia points an announcement condemning Manchester Democrat Nicole Klein Knight, who has been the middle of a maelstrom this week after reportedly utilizing the “n-word” in a confrontation with Democratic activist Jonah Wheeler, who’s Black.

In his assertion, Espitia — who can also be head of the New Hampshire Younger Democrats — denounced Klein Knight’s language and introduced his group was withdrawing its endorsement. He additionally recommended her habits wasn’t merely racist, however probably harmful.

“Rep. Klein Knight represents some of the racially numerous districts within the state and may due to this fact really feel a fair higher duty to uplift Black, Brown, and Indigenous voices. As an alternative, she engaged in degrading, bigoted habits in opposition to a younger Black man, ultimately calling safety on him, regardless of being absolutely cognizant of the heightened risks Black males face on this nation within the presence of legislation enforcement,” Espitia wrote.

Republican legislators instantly reacted to Espitia’s suggestion that State Home officers posed a hazard to Wheeler or anybody else.

“An announcement attributed to one in all our Home colleagues appeared in a information article immediately that one might view as calling into query the integrity of our Protecting Providers personnel,” Speaker of the Home Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) wrote in an electronic mail to Home members. “To be clear, Normal Courtroom Protecting Providers offers unbiased safety providers to legislators, workers, and the general public. They serve each legislator, workers particular person, and member of the general public equally, pretty, and with the utmost professionalism.

“The management of Protecting Providers holds their officers to very excessive requirements and we’ve a excessive degree of confidence in every of them,” Packard added. “We’re fortunate to have them.”

Mark Morrison, a former president of the New Hampshire Police Affiliation and a member of Gov. Chris Sununu’s Regulation Enforcement Accountability and Group and Transparency Fee, instructed NHJournal that Granite State cops do a great job of defending everybody, together with minorities. He mentioned it’s merely not true that folks of shade in New Hampshire are much less secure round police.

“I really feel very assured that each one (legislation enforcement) businesses in New Hampshire actually work to ensure that that kind of remedy doesn’t occur to anyone,” Morrison mentioned. “I don’t imagine there’s any systematic discrimination that takes place with any New Hampshire company.”

Espitia is a frontrunner of the progressive wing of the New Hampshire Democratic Celebration and, Republicans have been fast to notice his remark echoes the “Defund the Police” motion backed by many progressives, together with the New Hampshire ACLU and the Black Lives Matter group. The push to defund police departments is widely seen as hurting Democrats at the ballot box.

Espitia didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Rep. Doug Trottier (R-Belmont) says he thinks Protecting Providers “do a great job.”

“It doesn’t matter what shade, race, anyone, I don’t assume that places anyone in security considerations. For essentially the most half, everyone is handled equally,” Trottier mentioned.