Sunday’s Baton Rouge police shootings followed weeks of clashes between protesters and police after Alton Sterling’s death. Reported gunman Gavin Long killed three officers before police shot and killed him, and this horrific tragedy has ended in complete heartbreak as details continue to unfold.
On CNN, Don Lemon took on the subject from Cleveland. He was joined by Sheriff David Clarke from Milwaukee, which also made headlines on Sunday when an officer was ambushed and shot in his patrol car during a domestic violence call. The incident was unrelated to what happened in Baton Rouge, but Milwaukee’s Asst. Police Chief William Jessup explained the common thread between the two cases: “This is just another example of the risks our officers take each and every day to protect these citizens.”
While speaking to Lemon, Sheriff Clarke echoed a sentiment during his recent appearance on Fox News where he described Black Lives Matter as a “violent, hateful ideology.” Clarke, who will be speaking at the RNC on Monday, told Lemon that he long ago predicted what happened in Baton Rouge and Dallas. Clarke wasted no time in outlining what he called an “anti-cop sentiment from Black Lives Matter has fueled this rage against the American police officers.”
Lemon quickly cut to commercial before returning and asking Clarke to stop interrupting him. The two men then discussed new research that found no proof of law enforcement bias against black males. Some people found flaws with the study, and this segment doesn’t resolve the research’s validity. What it does do is prove that Don Lemon and Sheriff Clarke will never agree on any issue related to Black Lives Matter or use of police force. This was one fiery argument, which you can see below.