Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 10-23-15 Edition

Local
Senate Democratic Leader Successful In Removing Confederate Flag From Senate Seal
Roughly five months after she began her mission to strip the Confederate flag from the seal that marks the Florida Sen- ate, Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner (D-Tampa) on Monday could declare vic- tory.
Senator Joyner said, “Anyone who knows the history of Blacks in the South, including Florida, understands what that
flag represents. And to see it as part of the official emblem rep- resenting the Florida Senate and the power this institution holds as a lawmaking body was deeply offensive to me. It needed to be removed.”
The move by the full Senate to strip the flag from the Senate seal came on the opening day of the Legislature’s third special session.
SENATOR ARTHENIA JOYNER
In June, Senator Joyner first requested that the flag be removed following the massacre of black churchgoers in
SENATE FLAG
Charleston, South Carolina, and that state’s push to take down the Confederate flag from pub- lic grounds outside the capitol.
The Senate Rules Commit-
tee agreed to revisit the Senate seal, and recommended it be changed by replacing the Con- federate banner with the Florida state flag, which now joins those of the United States, Great Britain, France and Spain – all flags which have flown over the state throughout its history and displayed on the seal.
The change required two thirds of the sitting membership to approve the new insignia. It goes into effect immediately.
Florida Black Caucus Releases Statement On Police Shootings
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Wednesday, members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus called for an independent inves- tigation into the shooting death of a Palm Beach man killed by an undercover police officer. The call was issued during a press conference on Capitol Hill.
Corey Jones, 31, of Boyn- ton Beach was fatally wounded early Sunday morning after an encounter with a Palm Beach Gardens police officer. Jones’ vehicle had broken down on an I-95 exit ramp, and he was wait- ing for a tow truck.
In a written statement, Ms. Candice Temple, Media Rela- tions Manager for the City of Palm Beach Gardens said, “On Sunday, October 18th, 2015, at approximately 3:15 a.m., Palm
REP. ED NARAIN Florida Legislative Black Caucus Chairman
Beach Gardens Police Officer Nouman Raja, was on duty in a plain clothes capacity, in an unmarked police vehicle.
“Officer Raja was working as part of a detail related to a string of burglaries in the City. He stopped to investigate what he believed to be an abandoned vehicle on the southbound exit ramp of Interstate 95 and PGA
COREY JONES
... Killed early Sunday morning
Blvd. As the officer exited his ve- hicle, he was suddenly con- fronted by an armed subject. As a result of the confrontation, the officer discharged his firearm resulting in the death of Mr. Corey Jones.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the investigation. However, in light of the numerous fatal shootings that have taken place involving African Americans and police, State Representative Ed Narain, who is Chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus is asking for an independent in- vestigation.
Rep. Narain said, “Once again, another young Black man has been killed while being someplace he rightfully be- longed in our state. It took local law enforcement almost 15 hours to inform the family of his shooting. Under pressure for transparency from the local po- lice union, the Palm Beach Gar- dens police chief finally issued a statement almost two full days after the incident. There is no dash cam or body camera footage to review of the en- counter between the plain clothes, unmarked car driving officer and the stranded Mr. Jones returning home from an evening at work around 2 a.m.
“It’s these type of delays and lack of evidence that continue to create distrust between commu- nities of color and local police departments. It is source of an- guish and frustration for Black people nationwide and legisla- tive action and enforcement ap- pears to be the only proper remedy. “
Rep. Narain further said that after meetings with the Governor’s office, representa- tives from the Attorney Gen- eral’s Office and the local State Attorney’s Office to address this matter, “We now call upon the Governor to immediately start an independent investigation and restore the public’s confi- dence in the Palm Beach Gar- dens investigation.”
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015