Write a Letter to the Editor: Demand BOTH Waycross cops are removed from the force

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Write a Letter to the Editor: Demand BOTH Waycross cops are removed from the force

On Saturday, August 8, Waycross GA police officers Jesse Shook and Lt. Scott Rowell followed a car full of Black children home and shot at them — all because the 16-year-old driver allegedly ran a stop sign.

A week later, Lt. Rowell resigned from the Waycross Police Department. The second officer, Jesse Shook, is still on paid leave. GBI's investigation into the incident is ongoing, and we have to keep fighting until BOTH officers are removed from the force.

Write a letter to the editor and tell Waycross Mayor Michael-Angelo James: Cops who shoot at Black children and terrorize Black neighborhoods must be removed from the force. Fire these officers immediately.

Letters to the editor are one of the fastest, easiest, and most powerful ways to speak to a large audience about the things you care about.

Choose one of the points below to expound on. Don’t try to cram multiple points into one letter — choosing just one is best. Write a 100-200 word (3 – 4 sentences) letter calling on Waycross Mayor Michael-Angelo James to break this dangerous cycle and fire Lt. Rowell and Officer Shook for terrorizing and shooting at Black children in South Georgia.

PROMPTS:

One resignation is not enough. Lt. Scott Rowell resigned but will likely be able to keep his pension. Rowell could be hired by another police department and allowed to carry a gun and badge again. He could allowed to terrorize Black people again. We have to break this cycle of violence.

Officer Shook is still on paid leave. Both Shook and Rowell must be removed from the Waycross police force immediately. We demand full accountability now — not a lengthy investigation or a slap on the wrist.

This is not the first time Lt. Scott Rowell has been a part of an officer-involved shooting. In 2013, the GBI investigated Rowell's involvement in the murder of Jack Lamar Roberson. Yet Rowell was allowed to return to the police force. Rowell cannot continue to put Black lives in danger.
Lt. Rowell and Officer Shook failed to follow protocol for a traffic stop. GBI confirmed that Officer Shook did not turn on his siren or flash his lights to tell the driver to pull over. Lt. Rowell opened fire on a group of Black children. Both officers were wearing body cameras but did not activate them during the incident, and there is no dashcam footage. Lt. Rowell and Officer Shook must be held accountable.

TIPS TO INCREASE LIKELIHOOD TO GET PUBLISHED:

Make the letter as personal as possible.
Explain why this issue is so important to you or how it affects you/your community.
Use your own story
Referencing a story by the publication on the issue is a plus!

We must continue to demand full accountability to make sure Lt. Rowell and Officer Shook can't terrorize Black people elsewhere. And we have to make sure racist incidents like this never happen again — not in Waycross, not anywhere.