The statement was released by Bishop Shelton Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, chair of the U.S. bishops' committee against racism; Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia, chair of the cultural diversity committee; Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, head of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chair of the pro-life committee; Bishop Joseph Bambera of Scranton, head of the Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell of Los Angeles, chair of the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development; and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry of Chicago, chair of the Subcommittee on African American Affairs.
The bishops responded to the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody this week. Footage of the incident circulated widely on the internet. It showed Floyd, who is black, subdued and laying on his stomach, saying repeatedly, "I cannot breathe" and groaning as a police officer knelt on his neck for almost eight minutes, and other officers stood nearby and watched.
Floyd was taken to a local hospital, where he died shortly later. His death has prompted protests in numerous cities, including rioting and looting in some parts of Minneapolis.
After widespread protest, former police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on May 29. The officers present at Floyd's arrest were fired from the Minneapolis police force.
In their statement, the bishops said they were "broken-hearted, sickened, and outraged to watch another video of an African American man being killed before our very eyes."
"What's more astounding is that this is happening within mere weeks of several other such occurrences," they said. "This is the latest wake-up call that needs to be answered by each of us in a spirit of determined conversion."