Police violence in the US against the black community must end

I am writing to you with regard to the article Police claim Minnesota officer meant to draw Taser in fatal shooting of Daunte Wright (April 12): you reported the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, claimed to be an “accidental discharge” by an officer who drew her gun during a struggle instead of her Taser.

This is an infuriating case because a series of similar accidents have repeatedly occurred throughout the US against the African-American community.

This form of systemic bias happens on a daily basis in the US and the courts do not hold law enforcement officials accountable for their conduct.

As a student of public health, I believe that courts and law enforcement agencies in the US must recognise the need for reform and the requirement to eliminate institutional bias.

Police brutality is a public health crisis and we are rightly demanding an end to racial discrimination by certain police officers and a culture of structural racism that harms people of colour disproportionately.

I am outraged in observing how a web of violence has occurred across multiple states and counties yet police officers continue to instil fear in black communities.

Far too many “unintended” and “unethical” deaths of people have gone unanswered by authorities, who have failed to apprehend or discipline the abusers. It is inexcusable that after the death of a black victim by a police officer, it is claimed that the discharge was unintentional.

Why are black victims only unintentional discharge victims? It appears police instinctively equate blackness with threat or violence and this prompts them to use more force than they would in similar cases involving white people.