NAACP Statement on East Lansing Meijer Shooting

LANSING – The shooting of DeAnthony VanAtten by East Lansing police officers was disturbing, excessive and reckless. In all videos released to the public, VanAtten was shopping inside Meijer, chased on foot in the store’s parking lot and then shot down as if he was a character on a video game. None of the videos released showed that he posed an immediate threat or danger. We are outraged. The police officers created an unsafe and potentially deadly environment unnecessarily. This incident and others like it are all too familiar. How did we come to a place in this society, in 2022, where a white man who kills six people during a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, IL, is taken into custody without incident but a black man shopping in Meijer is chased down and shot by police officers? These officers must be held accountable for their excessive and reckless behavior. We will continue to follow this case and demand justice for these horrifying actions. Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization.