KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller is speaking out about the safety of police after the execution-style murders of two officers in Iowa and the shooting death of a Sturgis-raised officer in Alaska.
Fuller, who appeared on WKZO-AM early Wednesday, called the tragedies “sickening.”
“There have been other times in our history where more law enforcement officers have been targeted,” Fuller said. “But it needs to stop.”
He claims the incidents are a byproduct of the divide between police and their communities.
“We need to make sure our citizens understand the importance of working with their law enforcement and being a team member instead of targeting them,” Fuller said.
Fuller said his office and Kalamazoo Public Safety are champions of bridging the divide, though there has been a recent setback. City Officer Timothy Millard caused a social media firestorm after flashing what appeared to be a gun gesture at residents on Kalamazoo’s predominantly African-American north side over the summer.
KDPS said the officer was only trying to greet people in the neighborhood.
