In a resurfaced video ahead of National Police Week, Min made the false claim during a forum for California’s 37th District State Senate race, which asked the candidates to address unarmed citizens shot by police.
California Democrat lawmaker Dave Min once made inflammatory remarks about law enforcement by falsely claiming police officers are trained to discharge their firearms on a suspect before asking questions.
In a resurfaced video ahead of National Police Week, Min made the false claim during a forum for California’s 37th District State Senate race hosted by The League of Conservation Voters, which asked the candidates to address unarmed citizens shot by police.
Just after Min alleged “racial biases” and lack of “diversity” as the significant problems within law enforcement, he added the “police are trained to shoot first and ask questions later.”
“And that is a fundamental problem with our police system today,” Min said.
Min, who was formerly a law professor at UC Irvine School of Law, was forced to retract the claim after his then-Democrat primary opponent, Katrina Foley, schooled him for ignoring the duty of a state legislator to avoid inflaming situations.
Authorities nationwide are taught to exhaust all other reasonable means before resorting to the
use of firearms out of respect for human life.
However, Min attempted to clarify his “rhetorical” comment by saying “when police are in situations where they fear for their lives legitimately because anybody might have a gun.”
“That was the point I was trying to make that I think at the end of the day, that creates a lot of tension that creates the potential for gun police shooting people,” he added.
Min went on to win the primary and general election for the Senate district seat when he narrowly defeated incumbent Republican State Senator John Moorlach.
But Min’s comments resurfaced as the United States prepares to celebrate National Police Week, which President John F. Kennedy established in 1962 to honor fallen law enforcement officers.
Through memorialization, educational workshops, and community outreach the family members and supporters of the fallen officers pay tribute in a candlelight vigil every year during the middle of May.
The lawmaker is now back in the spotlight as he runs for outgoing Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-Calif.) seat in the 47th Congressional District.
His campaign has struggled to run a strong campaign after Min made headlines last year after police arrested him for driving under the influence.
Min also recently celebrated an endorsement from Bush and her fellow far-left Congresswomen, notoriously dubbed “The Squad” (Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI, Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in his bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Min said he is “deeply honored” by their support, adding the seal of approval “reaffirms my commitment to fighting for progressive change.”
National Republicans have called on voters to “rightfully” judge Min for his past behavior.
Ben Petersen, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), sounded the alarm about Min in a news release for co-signing with the “Socialist Squad’s” dangerous voting record against local law enforcement and stronger border security.
With this move, Min is screaming to Orange County families just how extreme he would be in Congress,” Petersen said.
Min advanced to the general election in early March after his opponent, Democrat political activist and first-time candidate Joanna Weiss, conceded. Min defeated Weiss by only 6 points, signaling a narrow victory following his run-in with the law.
He now faces former Republican Assemblyman Scott Baugh in November for California’s 47th district. Baugh received approximately 12,000 more votes than Min in the swing district’s primary race.
