State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion responds to Jamar Clark decision

DFL state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion of Minneapolis on Friday weighed in publicly on the recent decision by Hennepin County officials to not seek criminal charges against police involved in the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark.

In a two-page statement, Champion, who represents north Minneapolis, said he was saddened by the decision, announced Wednesday by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Champion in very personal terms decried the decision.

"However confusing or disappointing the decision may be, I have to admit I'm not surprised," Champion said. "I'm not surprised at all, and that makes me sad. And to be completely honest with you, a lot of things make me sad right now."

He expressed personal sadness for Clark's family, police officers and "the good hard-working people who live in places like north Minneapolis that are often stereotyped and seldom valued as contributing members of society."

Champion is one of only two black state senators in the Minnesota Legislature. His district's population is nearly 40 percent black.

"I'm sad for all the people in our community who – more than anything – just want to be heard," Champion wrote. "I'm sad that when we try to be heard, we're told we're too loud, too disorderly, too brazen, and too angry."

While he lamented the difficulty in striving for racial equity, he also called for unity. "(O)ur anger, frustrations, and sadness must be channeled in a way that creates progress in our communities and betters our situations. We've got too much to do, and we know it's up to us to do it."

Photo: State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion in 2013. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune)