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Pittsburgh police chief praises officer’s peaceful protest of black killings

ptrpaintingcop02071115
Guy Wathen | Trib Total Media
Pittsburgh police Officer Alphonso Sloan works on an anti-police brutality-themed painting Friday, July 10, 2015, in the SPACE gallery, Downtown.
ptrpaintingcop01071115
Guy Wathen | Trib Total Media
Pittsburgh police Officer Alphonso Sloan works on an anti-police brutality-themed painting Friday, July 10, 2015, in the SPACE gallery, Downtown.

Pittsburgh police Chief Cameron McLay on Saturday praised one of his officer’s efforts to peacefully protest the killing of black men by authorities.

Officer Alphonso Sloan, 44, painted a mural in a Downtown gallery portraying images that included Walter Scott’s final moment after he was shot in the back; Eric Garner’s last breath on a New York sidewalk; and a protester bearing a sign with the phrase, “black lives matter.”

“I am proud of Alphonso for courage, as well as his impressive artistic talents. To speak difficult truths shows courage and integrity,” McLay said in a statement released by the police bureau. “The preservation of human life, all human lives, is the most foundational value in the policing profession. His statement against police misconduct is not an indictment of police, it is a call to action for social justice for all,” McLay said in part.

Public safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler on Friday said the bureau had no comment because it was not involved in the creation of the mural. On Saturday, she said McLay chose to comment when he became aware of its content.

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